Void of Time
by Garyay95
Summary: This is my second story, time for me to keep you entertained hopefully, while I fix my first story. Anyways, this is a story of a different, smarter, slightly OP Natsu and his budding love life and regualr life? With Ultear and how their adventures tie in with Fairy Tail! M to be safe! In case of future lemons and stuff
1. A Cruise, A Fairy, A Sword Fight?

Hargeon Port

Many people stared at what seemed in thier eyes a rather odd trio. Well, at least two of the three seemed to be an oddity, and the other could be described as the most normal, and the most preferred to look at. She was the only female of the trio, or the only one an passerby could be positive was a female. One could only describe her as gorgeous, with a curvy, vuluptuois figure, and long violet hair that she held in a messy bun kept together with small pointed metal rod. She wore a simple kimono, deep blue in color held shut with a white sash. The kimono had a large draconic crest, also in white on the back.

The tallest of the three companions was a pink haired male, whose hair was unaturally spiky. He had tanned skin, with onyx eyes. His face seemed to be set into a permeantly serious expression, that made the scar from the top of his forehead to his jaw on the left, cutting through his eye all the more intimidating. He wore baggy black pants, tucked into black combat boots. He also wore a simple white shirt, tucked into his pants. Over top of this he had a calf length trench coat, with two shoulder pads attached to it. The coat held the same symbol as the woman's kimono. To complete his outfit, the young man had a katana strapped to the right side of his waist.

And the third of the three was bound to attract the most attention. It was a strange creature, standing about to the man's knee. If any were to try and describe it accurately, it looked like a small wyvern, with black skin, accented by red in various places, creating a tribal like pattern on its body. It hovered about the two, occasionly landing on one of their shoulders.

"Ugh, why are they sending us of all people on a mission as simple as this?" complained the pink haired man.

"Now, now, no need to complain. They as you so like to refer to them as always have their reasons." Chided the woman gently.

"I know. Trust me, I know. But it seems so trivial to send us after a simple slaver. Not wanting to get their hands dirty."

"And thats why they love us. To keep their hands pristine and unstained."

Grunting the man continued to walk forward with his hands behind his head. Keeping a leisurely pace they continued onward through the town. That was until they heard the screaming of what seemed to be..fangirls?

"OH MY GOD IT"S The HOLLOW!"

"THE HOLLOW IS HERE!"

Smirking slightly, the pink haired man sped up his pace, leaving his two companions. Scowling, the violet haired woman began to grumble as she quickened her pace as well. Soon the woman and wyvern caught up to their pink haired friend, scowling at a foolish looking man dressed in white, with purple hair. The man was visibly shaking with fear.

"So, my newly found friend," began the pink haired man, "why don't you explain to me about this...moniker you wave around?"

The man was sweating now, but reacting quickly he yelled, Prominance Tyhpoon, and floated away on purple fire. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, leaving a seething pinkette, his companions and a blonde, unbeknowst to them. The pinkette's magic began to spiral out control, as he oozed killing intent. That was until, a hand was placed on his shoulder, and a soothing voice whispered in his ear.

"Come now my dragon, be at peace. Everything comes with due time." the violet haired woman whispered, as she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. Slowly, the man began to calm and the blonde deemed it safe to approach.

"Um..excuse me", she began nervously, "I wanted to thank you for breaking that man's charm spell. Could I treat you to something to eat?"

Line Break

The four were now sitting in a small restaruant, eating and mostly listening for the most part of the three. The blonde was very animated as she rattled away about guilds and magic. Mostly of how she wished to join a guild called Fairy Tail. After their meal, the three companions parted ways with the blonde who had introduced herself as Lucy.

Soon night had fallen and the pinkette and violet haired woman could be found watching a yacht slowly leave port. The woman sat on the buildings banister, resting her head against the man's chest. He was stalk still, his eyes narrowed in a predatory gaze towards the departing ship. Chuckling slightly, the woman removed her head from his chest, replacing it with her hand, as if she didn't want to lose the physical contact.

"Go Natsu, I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Please hurry.." she hesitated but before she could finish the sentence, the man was already gone. Sighing, she looked toward the yacht and finished her sentence.

"Be safe my dragon.."

The pinkette, Natsu reappeared in a slight flash of black and purple, at the front most part of the ship. Steadily walking, he began to whistle a tune. A catchy little thing that his companion told him her mother sang. Closing his eyes, Natsu began to reminsce the times she sang it to him. And soon, his blade joined the musical, flashing out to end a man's life. Blood spurted from the man's throat, slightly covering Natsu. Eyes still closed, the pinkette continued to easily dispatch of the guards on the ship, easily dodging their fists and attacks. Soon all the men aboard the ship were dead. Aside from his main target, that is. Pushing open the doors to the main quarters, Natsu stopped in surprise, opening his eyes slightly, recognizing Lucy, the woman from before. Nodding slightly to her, he seemed to vanish, before reappearing in front of the purple haired man.

His smirk fell away as he heard the bodies of his men hit the ground with a dull thud. And soon, absolute fear was etched onto his face as he looked into the eyes of the man in front of him. They were the eyes of a monster. A creature who has seen countless lives end at the swing of his blade. A creature who relished in the hunt and the kill. Grunting the man jerked his head down as he felt a sharp pain in the stomach. Shock made its way into his eyes as he saw the pinkette's white bladed katana buried in his abdomen.

Leaning forward, the pink haired man whispered in his ear, voice smooth and terrifying, "I am the Hollow. You are not me. And you nor your men deserve the warriors prayer. Die now."

With that, the pink haired man twisted his blade, heaving it upward, splitting wide the man that was his target. Know to many as Bora the Prominence, now just another name on a list of deaths by the Hollow. Turning slightly, he nodded at Lucy, before vanishing s a flash of black and purple.

Line Break

Two days had past since Natsu and company had eliminated Bora. Collecting their bounty, they were currently sitting in the living room in one of their many houses.

"Ultear, why did we come to Magnolia again?" asked Natsu looking up at her with his head in her lap.

Sighing Ultear ran her fingers through his soft pink hair, "Because Natsu, we have a request here. And it's not from them before you ask. Besides I want to see if Lucy made it to her guild alright."

"Hmm that was the blonde right? And what job? I'd much rather be searching for Thoraxian right now."

"Yes, and a Guild Master is hosting a swordsmanship competition with one of the members for a charity. But the winner still gets a large amount of the proceedings. If it's enough then we won't have to take anymore jobs for awhile."

Sitting up Natsu looked away slightly, "I wish you'd have asked me Ul.."

"But you couldn't say no to me, could you my dragon?" Ultear asked in a sultry tone.

"No, but lets get this over with."

Natsu stood up and stretched, beckoning for Ultear as he began to walk towards the only Guild in the town. Soon the two found themselves pushing through a large crowd to the doors of Fairy Tail. Pushing them open, the two were greeted with what looked like a brawl. However, soon every member in the hall froze as they ll felt an extreme magical pressure laced with killing intent. Unknown to them, a chair had flow toward an unsuspecting Ultear. But luckily for her, her dragon as she liked to call him was there to protect her. But before he could zero in on who threw the chair, a very short old man appeared in front of him.

"Why hello! What can I do for the two of you?" he asked smile pervishly at Ultear.

And surprisingly, it was Ultear who answered, placing her hand on Natsu's shoulder, "My companion would like to enter the competition you are having here at your guild."

"Ah well then, let's go out back. Erza is already there."

Soon everyone was outback in the small arena like area, that had a scarlet haired woman standing in its center. Not far to her right was a board for bets, and tally marks for all the rounds she has won so far, chalking up to a total of 74. Everyone, stayed quiet as Natsu entered the arena. Many placed bets on Erza, aside form Ultear, who placedalmost 200,000 jewels on Natsu being the victor. After Makarov, the short little man from before explained the rules, Erza bowed slightly.

"I am Erza Scarlet, Titania, Queen of the Fairies and I will be your opponent." she stated calmly.

Natsu too, as he was taught bowed before speaking, "I am Nastu Dragneel, the Hallow, Bane of the Forgotten One and son of Thoraxian, Dragon King of the Void, ferry of the passed. May strong be the blade that carries you to victory, swift the blade the sounds the call of your death."

Grasping his katana is his left hand, his right grabbed the hilt. As soon as Makarov said go, he dissappeared.


	2. Titania VS Hallow: Parties Included

Everyone gasped as soon as Natsu dissappeared, aside from Master Makarov, Erza and Ultear who chuckled slightly, shaking her head. Suddenly Erza, brought her sword to the side, as she barely blocked Natsu's first attack, staggering from the sheer force of the blow. However, the scarlet knight quickly recovered swinging her sword in an upward arc. Pairing the blow, Natsu flipped backward, gaining slight distance between himself and Erza. Smirking slightly, he looked toward Erza.

"You can use your magic, I know your guild advertised a swords only event persay. But you won't even graze me if you don't use magic."

Redding slightly, Erza became enraged, charging at Natsu while glowing in a white light. Eyes widening slightly, the pinkette leaned to the left as an intricate spear crackling with electricity shot past his face. A crazed grin appeared on his face as he thought of how much fun this just got. Erza finally came into veiw, wearing red hakamas with bandages covering her chest. In each hand she weilded a katana.

Wanting to test her skill, Natsu spun the katana still in his left hand, so that he too had two weapons. Both the fighters sprung toward each other. Erza attacked furosiously, trying to gain the edge over the male before her. But Natsu merely parried her attacks or dodged them, swaying this way and that. Almost always he allowed the blades to come within inches of him.

Ultear was smiling happily as she watched her friend. As much as he grumbled about it, she knew he was having fun. It had been quite awhile since anyone had managed to stay in a figth with Natsu and his swordsmanship skill for this long before. He wouldn't admit but he seemed impressed. She made a mental note to tease him for it later. Grinning to herself she focused back on the match. Right as she did, Natsu turned his sheath, using it to sheathe Erza's thrust, using his strength to keep her other blade pointed away from him. Then he flicked his left hand sending Erza's on sword spinning away, before kicking her away. Glancing around he spotted his violet haired companion.

"Ultear?"

Smiling at him she replied quickly, "Normal, my dragon?"

"Hmm normal..it'll be funny."

Pausing slightly Ultear put her finger on her chin, pouting slightly in a cute way, while everyone else was baffled by the display. Soon she snapped her fingers and began to speak, " How about, reverse, right, closed, three, and cross?"

Nodding, Natsu smiled a wide grin at Ultear, closing his eyes thankfully so he didn't see her blush. Keeping his katana grasped in his right hand, he turned the blade so that it was face with the blade up, the dull edge used as his striking area. Erza took this oppurtunity to attack Natsu. She swung downward quickly, but her blade hit the ground as he side stepped left. Recovering quickly, she swung in a two handed grip toward him, which again he dodged.

But soon the scarlet knight realized that she made a mistake. Natsu swung in a downward slash, but quickly leaned left, making his body into an L shape as he turned the slash into a thrust causing Erza to throw her left arm out and up slightly. Kicking off his back leg, he propelled himself forward, shooting his right arm up and hook hers. Slamming their backs together, he quickly flicked his wrist, angling the dull edge of his katana against her throat. Erza gulped, feeling a slight amount of fear, realizing the fight was over and if he had wanted it, she would have been dead. The surrounding crowd was completely silent, not even realizing how much money they had all lost. But soon Master Makarov got everyone riled up, claiming they should continue the event with a party Fairy Tail style. This caused everyone to rush inside, even ushering a slightly caught off guard Ultear and a very disgruntled Natsu.

Almost immediately everyone was laughing and drinking. But Makarov and Erza had some how cornered Natsu and Ultear in one of the more secluded booths. Before the Master of Fairy Tail could speak, Erza beat him to it.

"That was a very good match, your skill is beyond comparision. I would be honored if you would help me improve.", Erza said while bowing slightly.

Natsu glanced up, eyeing the woman up and down. He leaned toward her and looked her directly in the eyes, unerving her slightly, before smiling a large toothy grin, "Ask Ul, it's up to her, but for now, take this." He reached inside his jacket and handed her a slip of paper, telling her to commit it to memory. Leaning back, he laid his head in Ultear's lap, promptly falling asleep as she began to stroke his hair.

That was when Master Makarov began to speak, "You knew he would win didn't you?"

Smiling Ultear looked down at the sleeping man, "I had faith. I always do."

"What was the conversation you and he shared during the fight. We all heard it, but to us it makes no sense." Seeing Ultear tense slightly he continued, "And no need to worry about me sharing your secrets, you mean no harm to my children, therefore I mean no harm to you."

Relaxing slightly Ultear answered, albeit hesitantly, "It was what he was going to do. Right hand grip, his weak arm. Reverse grip, in case he got carried away. Eyes closed. Three moves, the downward thrust, arm lock, and wrist flick. And the cross stood for the finsihing technique he ended in."

Humming in thought the small man told her to enjoy the party and that they would talk later. But it seemed that Erza had other plans, sitting herself across from the violet haired woman. Glancing toward her, Ultear took in her appearance and the friendly smile she had.

Suddenly Erza began to speak, taking Ultear off guard, "So with the way you communicated earlier, do you train together?"

Smiling Ultear giggled lightly, "Not any form of swordsmanship, no. We spar quite often, to make sure that we don't get lazy."

"Oh I see. Have you two know each other long?"

"Long enough I suppose."

"Well, feel free to stay as long as you like. Enjoy the party." Erza smiled as she walked away.

Ultear relaxed slightly when the scarlet haired woman was gone. All these questions made her uneasy. Hopefully Natsu would wake up soon. She wanted to leave, sighing she hoped her curious new aquantises would leaver her be. This however, was not to be the case as Lucy walked up to them, along with the gentle white haired bar-maid and who Ultear assumed to be her sister. Sighing, Ultear gestured at the empty seats across from her with her free hand.

The three sat down, while the barmaid seemed to internally die as she saw how Natsu decided to rest. Shushing her, Lucy introduced the two white haired woman as Mira and Lisanna. Before putting Ultear through more of what Natsu would call "painstakingly dull torture"

"So, Lucy began, "How did you two meet? You seem to be quite an interesting couple."

Scowling Ultear vehemently responded even though her face seemed red, "We aren't a couple! He's dense and hard headed and an idiot even though he seems smart and caring and perfect and.." Ultear stopped suddenly, a blushing mess and jumped up quickly, slamming Natsu's head on the table, before rushing away. Groaning Natsu sat up rubbing his head. Looking around he couldn't find Ultear and instantly stood straight up, startling the three girls at his table. Ignoring them, he continued his search for Ultear, bewildering the guild as he would occasionally sniff the air.

Finally he found his friend, sitting on the roof of the guild staring up at the stars. Walking up to her, he sat behind her, pulling her towards him so that she was resting against his chest. Smiling slightly a small blush dusted her face as she closed her eyes and leaned back further, enjoying the warmth he provided. The moment was so peaceful for the both of them. Each lost to their own thoughts of the other. Soon Ultear was fast asleep, snuggling more into Natsu's chest. Chuckling slightly, he gently picked her up and carried her toward their home.

Arriving at their home, Natsu was surprised to see Veil, their wyvern friend. Putting his finger to his lips he walked by and laid Ultear down on the bed. Closing the door he wandered over to the small dragon like creature, sitting cross legged beside him.

"So," began Natsu, "I take it you aren't here for a social visit?"

Veil looked at him blankly before chuckling, "You amuse me little hatchling. Alas no, this visit can not be referred to as one of friends. Thry were displeased with the Fates lack of repsonse."

Natsu turned sharply, eyes turning to slits as he growled, "You tell them to leave her out of this Veil! She has nothing to do with any of this."

"Hallow, you know she is just as involved as you. And it's because of you."

"Veil, shut your mouth. One more word about her and I'll shut it for you permantly. They gave you the details I take it? Leave them on the table. We'll leave in the morning."

Standing up, Natsu turned his back on the creature, walking toward the room he shared with Ultear. Closing the door behind him, he looked down at the peacefully sleeping woman. His friend...his best friend. Slowly he removed his coat, boots and shirt. Revealing a well toned body, hardened and chiseled from years of training. A long scar ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. Another for, shaped like holes in a vertical line on the left side of his abdomen. He also bore two intricate tattoos. On on his left bicep, it was an intricate dragon spiraling down, with several runes around it forming sentences. And on his back, a large pattern of runes, coming into a large circle. Sighing, he crawled into bed beside her, with his back facing her. Almost instantly, he felt slender arms wrap around his torso, and a cheek pressed against his own.

"Don't seem so tense my dragon," Ultear murmured, her breath fanning his face.

Slowly Natsu turned so that he was facing her, "I'm not tense, I'm never tense around you."

"If you say so Natsu, now sleep. It'll help." Ultear whispered, as she rubbed small circles on Natsu's back, tracing over his tattoos. Ultear began to hum, the song her mother sang to her as a child. She always did this for Natsu, as soon as she noticed he fell asleep at least. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She honestly wished moments like this could last forever.

"Goodnight my Dragon." she whispered, pressing a light kiss to his forehead.

 **Hey everyone, I just wanted to clear a few things up before I continued. Obviously both Ultear and Natsu are going to be very different from how their characters are actually portrayed. And as you can tell they've know each other for awhile, a lot of that will be explained in a few chapters. As well as the monikers, some of the symbols and a few other things. Hope you enjoy!**

 **P.S. Forgot to do this on chapter one, I only own my OC's and plot, well a large majority of the plot. Everything else belongs to Hiro Mashima**


	3. Secrets Don't Make Friends

Natsu was irratated to say the least. Scratch that, he was furious. Magic leaked off him in waves, and he oozed so much killing intent that anyone in his path ran the oppisite way. But the strangest thing was, that his violet haired companion was no where to be seen.

 _Flash Back_

 _Natsu awoke early, just like he normally did, and was unsurprised to find his friend still sleeping. Shaking his head, the pinkette began his daily workout routine. After about two hours he returned showered and made some breakfast for Ultear. Then he remembered his conversation with Veil the previous night. Looking over he saw a letter on the table, addressed to himself and Ultear. Tearing it open he began to read._

 _"Hallow and Fate, two of the most renowed mages in the world, can't even remembered to contaact the only person they don't want to annoy. That would be very, painful for the two of you. Aside from you both lacking in response time, I have come across a mission, or should I say two missions. One for each of you. Hallow, there is a man that goes by the moniker Shinigami Reaper. He happened accross an item from me, but it seems that his resourcefulness has run it's toll. You are to kill him, and retrieve the item in question. You'll know what it is. And now it's on to you Fate. Your leave from the council is almost up. Once you return, you need to put in play the Revival that we spoke of before. But make sure you don't do anything to lose your seet on the council. I expect a reply from each of you by the end of today. If not you'll receive a more personal..visit."_

 _Growling in rage, Natsu slammed the letter down, and rushed out the door._

And now the pink haired slayer finds himself sitting in Fairy Tail once more, sipping on the strongest drink they have. But unfortunately for him it isn't working. At least not the way it should be, if anything it's worsening his mood. A sliding sound jerked him out of his thoughts as the scarlet haired knight sat down next to him. Smiling at him slightly, she ordered a piece of strawberry cheescake.

Tapping her shoulder, Natsu spoke, "Hey, mind telling Ultear I went to tak care of some bussiness when she shows up? Seeing as how she already has all her peices on the board?"

Erza nodded her head, swallowing her cake to respond. But looking to her right she noticed that Natsu was gone. And even more strange than that, the guild doors opened to reveal a frantic looking Ultear. Looking all around her, she searched for her pink haired friend. It was early and the guild was empty save for Erza and the two Strauss females. See the re-quip mage, Ultear quickly ran over to her.

"Erza have you seen Natsu," Ultear asked quickly.

Nodding her head the other woman responded, "He told me to tell you that he was leaving to take care of some bussiness. And that he was leaving now, because all your peices were on the table."

"Oh no. Oh no no. This is really bad," Ultear frantically began, "Erza I need as much help as I can get. We have to find Natsu."

"Ultear I'm sure that Natsu will be fine. He seems like an extremely capable wizard."

"Erza you don't understand. Look I can't explain everything right now. But Natsu, his magic is hard for him to control, thats why we don't stay seperated. Not unless we absolutely have to. Or if we're..um..if we're not happy with the other."

"Ultear, you aren't making very much sense. Do you perform some sort of seal on Natsu?"

"Ugh, Erza I do not have time for this. Help me and I'll answer one question from each person you bring! Sound fair?"

"Yes, do you know where to go?"

"I can find out, meet me at the train station, in twenty minutes."

Natsu found Erigor's guild fairly easily, stupid fools ranting at local bars. Their lack of care, and inhability to hold their alcohol disgusted him. It was simple to follow the stench they left to this building. Kicking the doors open, he was greeted with many shocked faces. Including a man with silver spiky hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and blue tribal tattoos traveled across his shoulders, and again down his stomach. He wore tattered black robe bottoms, tied with a white sash. Propped against his shoulder was a large, menacing scythe. Smirking slightly, Natsu narrowed his eyes at the man. He had found his target.

Shoving his hands in his pockets he spoke, "So Erigor the Shinigami. You happened across something I want. Well something my employer wants. And he sent me to take it back."

"And what makes you think I'd just give you whatever you want?" Erigor smirked.

"Oh you just reminded me!" Natsu snapped his fingers, "I get to kill you. But since everyone is here..I think I'll kill you all." Grinning, Natsu slowly let his magic build up, as he walked toward Erigor.

Ultear and her companions from Fairy Tail that included Erza, Mira, Gray, and Lucy arrived at the small town of Circe. An town only marked for it's train stop. But Ultear found that Erigor's guild was located here. Where she wasn't sure, that was until she heard an explosion. Turning the mages saw smoke coming from the forest, and sprinted in it's direction.

Natsu laughed as he deflected the ball of fire that was thrown at him towards the ceiling. It caused a large explosion and caused light to flood in from the hole. Still laughing he threw himself at the mages. He caught the first man with a powerful punch to the throat, before grabbing him and twisting his neck as quick as he could. Ducking under a fist he spun, kicking his attackers knee, breaking it. The man fell, screaming as he clutched his leg. However, Natsu could feel the angry tug of his magic. How dare they try and seperate them again. He'll show them all.

Throwing one hand toward the sky, a small purple sphere appeared in his hand. He threw it into the air as he yelled, " **Void Dragon Slayer's Rain of the Damned!** " The dark mages, stared at the small orb of purple until it exploded outward and made a veil that encompassed the ceiling of their guild. Soon rain began to fall, the same color as the sphere. As soon as anyone was touched they began to wail in agony. They clutched their heads and screamed, begging to be killed. None screamed more loudly than Erigor. He clawed at his skin and eyes. Feeling someone reach beside him, he looked at them with some hope in his eyes.

But Natsu had no hope to return to the Reaper, he was simply grabbing the flute that Erigor had placed on the bar's counter. It was far from pretty, being made of simple wood, designed with a three-eyed skull at the top. Pocketing it, Natsu sat and turned to watch the terrified men. They had begun to kill each other, and themselves. It was a massacre, but thats what Natsu had been aiming for. He watched as, on by one, they all fell. Aside from his original target.

Slowly, walking up to the man, he gently cupped his head in his hands, "Erigor Shinigami, I am the Hallow. May your soul find its path swiftly." Natsu, then quickly shved his thumbs through the eyes of the silver haired man, ending his life. Shoving his hands back in his pockets, he walked outside and came face to face with her.

Ultear was staring at Natsu seeing once again, the one thing she never wanted to see again. His eyes, they were dull, but the most heart wrenching thing for her was that they were a deep shade of purple, just like his magic. Jumping back, she yelled to the Fairy Tail mages, "We need to subdue him, but be careful and don't let your guard down. He will kill you."

And with that, almost simoltaniously everyone rushed into action. Natsu lunged forward, swiping at Ultear. She leaned back quickly, feeling air rush past her. Grabbing Natsu outstretched arm, she threw him toward Erza, who delivered a powerful kick to his head. Landing several feet away on his back, Natsu jumped up looking unfased. Re-quiping into her Heaven's Wheel armor, Erza unleashed a volley of swords at Natsu. Looking bored, he walked toward her as the swords passed through him harmlessly.

Gray chose that moment to attack from the side, swinging his ice hammer towards Natsu's head, in sync with Lucy's spirit Taurus, attatcking Natsu's feet. Natsu blocks the hammer with his arm, stepping off the axe, using it's momentum to launch him into the air, "Void Dragon's Roar!", a large stream of purple and black energy flew from his mouth. Grey rolled out of the way, but Taurus took the brunt of the attack, dissappearing into the spirit world.

Natsu landed, turning towards Gray, preparing to unleash another war. That was before a pinkish purple ice shot him back towards Erza. Erza hit him down, hard with her Purgatory Mace. Natsu slammed into the ground creating a small crater. Luckily, the blow was enough to render the slayer unconcious. Gray threw him over his shoulder and they all trekked back to the train. Ultear could feel the stares of the Fairy Tail mages as the train began to depart. She sat patiently, awaiting their questions and unsurprisingly it was Erza who asked the first.

"I understand you said that Natsu had issues with his magic, but I didn't expect him to attack. Why did that happen?" the redhead began sternly.

Ultear sighed, "Natsu can freely use his magic. However, there is a person who is..linked with Natsu due to a mistake one both of our parts around two years ago. If Natsu ends up in an form of overly emotional state, especially anger, this person can use the link to cause Natsu to, loose control, for lack of a better term. It's like he's a puppet. That's why he was so easy to beat."

"But if this person is such a hindrance, why not break the link?" Lucy interjected

"He has something that is very dear to Natsu, and if the link is broken prematurely, he will dispose of it."

Mira decided to ask her question next, "Then what does you being around Natsu have anything to do with this link being active?"

"Like I said, it's tied to emotions. I'm the only person that's been in Natsu's life aside from his father, and we've been together since we were children. It's easy for me to keep him calm."

Gray had been unusually quiet, "Those attacks he used..what were they?"

"He is the void dragon slayer. His magic literally connects to death. Some of the things he can do..I wouldn't wish on anyone."

After Gray's question, the rest of the train ride was silent. It made Ultear nervous, tense. She knew this would cause problems for them. And she knew they had to try an fix it, but she didn't know how. Or at least where to find him rather than how. Lost to her thoughts, she didn't realize the train had stopped. The conductor came through ushering everyone off, snapping Ultear from her stupor. Several hours later, the violet haired woman arrived at the home she shared with Natsu. Tossing him on the bed, she stripped him down to the boxer shorts he wore. Sighing she began to let her thoughts run wild as she sat on the edge of the bed.

 _They would have to kill him, that was the only option. But if they did that, then so many years of cover could be blown. Or she could...no, that wasn't important. She had to save Natsu, give him his life back. He was so carefree before, and he loved using his magic. Maybe she could just.._

Ultear was jolted from her thoughts, when she felt a hand on her back. Looking behind her, she noticed that Natsu was finally awake. Hitting him playfully, she smiled, "Well, well someone certainly enjoyed their nap."

Blinking at her slowly, Natsu placed both hands on her shoulders, "Ultear..," And as she turned he threw her on the bed and began to tickle her.

"Thats waht you get, hitting me!" Natsu shouted.

"Hahahaha oh stop, haaha pleasee." Ultear choked out between laughter.

Natsu stopped his torture as Ultear often referred to it as, and she layed down beside him. He was content, at least before she spoke.

"Natsu," Ultear began, "We need to kill him. And we need help."

"I know that we need to kill him. But help? What do you expect us to say?" Natsu said, staring at the ceiling.

"Erza, Mira, Lucy and Gray already know. At least the general basis of it."

"Alright alright. I get it. But what do you expect us to do? Tell them everything? Ul we've done terrible things. I don't think that any one of them will take that lightly."

"Just let me do all the talking. Now move over, I want room to sleep too."

Grumbling Natsu shifted to his right, feeling Ultear's slender arms wrap around him. She snuggled into his back, her breath fanning his neck. After a few minutes, she was asleep. Sighing Natsu decided he should sleep as well. It was going to be an interesting day tomorrow, after all.

Time Skip: The Next Day

Natsu and Ultear had made their way to the guild very early in the morning. They had high hopes of avoiding Erza and consulting Makarov about their situation. However, this seemed to be a wish that was not to be granted.

"Erza! You need to go find those brats!" The small Master was yelling almost as soon as Ultear and Natsu stepped in the guild.

"Yes Master. I'll head to Galuna Island right away." The Queen of Fairies stated, as she brushed past Ultear to exit the hall.

Ultear pailed slightly at the mention of the name. That was were her most recent mission had been set up. If anyone goes there now..they'll die. Grabbing Natsu, she yanked him toward Master Makarov, asking if they could speak privately. The trio then made their way to the Master's office. Sitting behind his desk, Makarov gestured to the chairs, signaling for the two to start. As he expected, it was Ultear that spoke.

"Makarov, we have some things to explain to you," she began nervously, fiddling with her hands, "Natsu and I are in a very precarious situation. We have..an employer, and as I'm sure Erza explained yesterday, he has a certain leverage over Natsu."

Before Ultear could continue Makarov held up his hand, "I don't want an answers were you jump around. You're going to need to explain everything."

Ultear blanched, "Very well," grabbing Natsu's hand before she continued.

Flashback Start

 _Natsu and I met at a research facility. It was a dismal place, were they took kids with magical properties and ran experiments on them. Natsu, he rescued me, even though he didn't have to. He attacked almost everyone there, started a small scale war against all the scientists. Then he came across me, I had been injured and couldn't walk. Natsu carried me out, and destroyed the entire compound. And then he did nothing but annoy me for months. No matter how much I yelled, or told him to leave, he always returned when I needed him the most. Our travels took us North to were my mother lived...and I learned that she replaced me. So I set out with Natsu to learn another type of magic._

 _That's when we ran into a man named Hades. He offered us sanctuary and training. The things he put us through were horrendous and painful. But none more so when he ordered us to annihilate a village. That became the final straw for Natsu. He defected, but I stayed, if only to keep tabs on the man, and take care of someone. But I would always visit Natsu._

 _Then one day we both received a letter from a courier that made us both uneasy to say the least. It was Veil, the wyvern companion Lucy mentioned seeing us with. He handed us a letter and said it was from our new employer, courtesy of Hades. The letter gave explicit details, that we Time Embodiment as he called us, were to go to a very distant land. An island off the edge of Fiore and kill a creature called the Forgotten One. The journey took almost a full year to complete alone. We fought men and beasts that not even would appear in a nightmare._

 _When we reached the island we were shocked. It was a vast place, with a long bridge leading to the main doors. Walls that touched the clouds, surrounded the place, as black as a starless night. But the strangest thing was the reaction the place had to Natsu's magic. Torches of purple fire lit before us as we walked accross the bridge. The doors opened themselves and we stepped into what seemed like a giant arena...soon all sorts of figures appeared in the stands. Then it came, The Forgotten One._

 _It was a hulking beast, it's legs like that of a horse or goat. It had leathery black wings on it's back littered with holes. On it's upper body it wore shoulder pads, spiked and somewhat rusted. A tail swished back and forth, spiked at the end. And it's head..it's head was a sight that I never wish to see again. It had a snout, that much was for sure. But it wore a helmet made out of a dragon's skull. And all you could see of it's eyes were red. Its hands were four fingered and clawed. We were stunned, but it didn't last long, because it attacked._

 _The beast surged forward at blinding speeds, straight towards me. Luckily for me, Natsu shoved me out of the way. But it cut him, like butter from his left shoulder to right hip. The force of the blow sending him crashing into the wall with enough force to make him cough up blood. I attacked with everything had then. I even used my ice-make magic in conjunction with my Arc of Time. It brushed everything aside like I was a fly. Then it grabbed me, with every intention of crushing me. However, it forgot about Natsu, and he came out of no where at insane speeds, striking the creature in the face with his fist. The thing lurched back and threw me. I caught a glimpse of Natsu before I blacked out. He had entered Dragon Force. His eyes were slitted and purple, his canines a little longer as well as his nails. His magic formed skeletal wings on his back, causing him to hover above the ground slightly. And purple markings could be seen on the left side of his face and on his hands. That's all I remember_.

End Flash Back

Natsu squeezed Ultear's hand to try and calm her down. Then he stared at Makarov with a hard look, "Pay attention old man, because this is were things get out of hand. I'm just going to show you my memory. That'll be easier. **Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Forgotten Voice**."

 _Makarov found himself standing in the very arena Ultear described. She was lying on the ground not very far from him. And Natsu was attacking the beast. Slashing with his katana like a madman, his movements almost impossible to follow. The beast howled in pain before shoving his claws through Natsu's abdomen and throwing him to the side. Rolling as he hit the ground Natsu immediately turned, "_ _ **Void Dragon's Roar!"**_ _he screamed, unleashing purple and black energy from his mouth. But he didn't wait to see if the attack had injured the creature. Sheathing his katana he got into a quick draw stance before vanishing._

 _"_ _ **Void Dragon Slayer's Sword Art: Soul Brand!**_ _", he reappered in front of the creature, slashing down and to the left. Then twisting the blade and following with an upward slash before coming down again with a follow on slash. Again, he vanished from sight. Behind the creature he popped up,_ _ **"Void Dragon Slayer's Repent**_ _!", building up energy in his hands he threw the massive ball at the beast. Suddenly, it's fist shot from the smoke, colliding with the pink haired man, launching him into the oppisite wall. The creature then turned, it's gaze settling on Ultear. It brought it's fist down with a sickening crunch. Slowly, however, the creatures fist was pushed back, and above Ultear stood Natsu, arms crossed above his head. He glared at the beast, "Don't you dare touch my Light. I won't let you harm her. TOUCH HER AND I"LL KILL YOU!", Shoving the creatures fist back, Natsu once more launched himself forward, but he didn't notice that Ultear had regained conciousness right before he saved her._

 _Natsu hit the ground once more with a bone crunching thud. Pushing himself up slowly, he wiped the blood from his face. The creature had almost taken his eye. Yelling in rage the Dragon Slayer began to draw in the energy from the dead, the thousands of souls in the stands began to get sucked toward his mouth. A wave of energy burst from Natsu as he glared at the creature. Behind Natsu, his aura formed the silhouette of a hulking purple and black dragon. Natsu roared and launched himself above the Forgotten One,_ _ **"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Ferryman of the Dead!**_ _" A large burst of purple energy flew from Natu's outstretched hands, taking the of a dragon, surrounded by howling souls. The attack shot through the beast, tearing a large hole clean through it's chest. Natsu landed as the beaast fell forward. He sprinted toward Ultear, cradling her head in his lap. Smiling at him gently, she carressed his cheek._

 _"You protected me, thank you.", Ultear whispered, "You looked like a dragon, you know."_

 _"I'll always protect you. The dragon protects the princess. Even when he know she can take care of herself," Natsu chuckled dryly as he picked Ultear up bridal style._

 _"I like the sound of that. My Dragon.." Ultear said shyly as she kissed Natsu's cheek._

 _Blushing slightly, Natsu tightened his grip, and the two left, the arena._

As soon as the memory ended, Ultear began to speak again, "Our employer was very pleased. So pleased in fact, that he wanted to continue to hire our services. As we entered his house, we unknowingly stepped onto a magic seal. It bound Natsu's magic to him and bound my soul to him as well. And he used that as leverage over Natsu. That's part of the reason the Natsu, barely uses magic. He proceeded to give us tasks as well as getting me a discreet seat on the magic council. This man has many projects, and alot of people that he has made into his puppets through the use of us."

Closing his eyes Makarov voiced his question, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because of two reasons, one we are asking for help. We probably don't deserve but.. And two, the island you just sent Erza, he has a plan there as well, and it's to revive a demon. The Demon of Destruction, Deliora."

Makarov's eyes shot open as he ran through all of this in his mind. They had to stop that from happening. And he had to protect his children. He saw no reason why he couldn't help these two, but if they brough forth the information too late..

"I have three more questions before I make a decision," Makarov began, "Your monikers, all three, where did they come from?"

Surprisingly it was Natsu who answered, "Our magic mostly, Fate, something dictated by time and not to be trifled with, jus like Ultear and her Arc of Time magic. And Hallow, devoid of a soul, my father is the Ferryman of Souls. Crossing blades with me is like fighting the incarnate of death, a souless one who brings people to their final place of rest. And Time Embodient. We are two living people who deal with acts of time almost everyday. It just popped up and stuck."

"Alright, why come forth with this information now?"

Again Natsu answered, "Because one, neither of us want to see innocent people hurt. First and foremost I am a warrior, I was taught a code by which I live, and I refuse to kill inocent people. The people here are innocent and kind. And two, we've never had the oppurtunity for someone to help us..so we figured we would try."

"If I can help you, will you reveal these man's plans to me?"

"I know most of his intricate plans, I doubt we can stop them, but yes we will tell you." Ultear answered.

"Very well. I will do my best to help you, but if this cost the lives of my children, you will make an enemy of Fairy Tail." Makarov said as he spiked his magic.

Natsu responded in kind, "And if think you'll be able to touch her, I'll show you what it's like to fight a dragon."

 **A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry it took so long, work was a pain. I just wanted to explain a few more things. One I'm sorry if my fight scenes suck. I'm not very good at those. So the fight with the Forgotten One, the only reason Natsu won the way he did is because he entered Dragon Force and as you can see he replenishes energy with souls. All those thousands of souls there gave him the edge to use that technique. This chapter was kinda hard I was trying to make it longer. If theres anything I didnt explain lemme know and I'll let you know if it gets explained later. Lastly Natsu's move set**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Rain of the Damned: Causes a rain of purple and black energy. When it hits the target, they constantly relive the pain they've caused their victims or worst memories causing them to go insane. Natsu rarely uses this, as its an area target spell and will affect everyone accept him.**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Forgotten Voice: Always Natsu to recall past memories for anyone to veiw or if he were to come in contact with say a spirit encased in ice he could use that spell to comminucate with them.**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Sword Art: Soul Brand: An attack that deals physical damage as well as affecting magical creatures souls and magic energy.**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Roar: It's a roar...**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Repent: Similiar to the Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame**

 **Void Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Ferryman of the Dead: Energy takes the form of Natsu's father, ferrying souls of fallen warriors to the afterlife, devastating the target.**


	4. The Dead Teach More Than the Living

Natsu and Ultear had made good time on their way to meet up with Erza before she left for Galuna Island. Master Makarov had called her before hand and told her to wait for the two mages. The walk was a long one, but they would reach the port that Erza was at by nightfall. Ultear however was concerned, Natsu had been unusually quiet. Deciding she should see what was wrong, she skipped up beside him and began to poke him in the face.

"What's wrong? You've been down ever since we left?" Ultear questioned her pink haired friend.

Sighing, Natsu threw his hands behind his head, "I'm just worried about all of this. Seems too good to be true, them helpin us and all. And going willingly to possibly face Deliora. Sounds like it's gonna suck. Besides that, you know what we'll find there right?"

"Yes...I know. That's why I wanted to ask a favor. I..I have to know, if she abandoned me, and if we aren't too late, then can you?"

Throwing his arm around her shoulder, Natsu smiled his award winning grin, "Of course, I was planning to anyway."

Ultear stopped, a deadly aura surrounding her. She glared at Natsu causing him to shrink back in fear, "You were planning to what exactly? Talk to my deceased mother without my permission!"

"Ultear, you are my Light and I would do anything to make you happy. That's all I care about. Thoraxian is dead...you're all that I have, I can't lose you, especially over something so small. I'm sorry that I didn't ask."

Blushing slightly Ultear opened and closed her mouth serveral times before grabbing Natsu by the hand and dragging him along. She kept her head down so he couldn't see her blush and tried to control her rapidly beating heart. After several hours that seemed like minutes with the pace Ultear kept, the two arrived at the port. Glancing around it wasn't hard to spot Erza and her scarlet hair, standing at the helm of a...pirate ship. Deciding not to question the fiery woman, the two quickly boarded the ship, which instantly caused Natsu to collapse and grab his stomach. Erza led them to the captains quarters where Ultear gently pulled Natsu's head into her lap and began stroking his hair.

Erza took a seat and thought her and Ultear could strike up a conversation, "Ultear, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Ultear looked toward the red-head, "Of course Erza."

"So you and Natsu seem very close, but you still remain friends as far as I can tell. Is there a reason?"

"I love him. I really do, I'd give up everything for him, but he is a dense idiot. I'm not to sure what to do to make him notice me."

"Well he's a dragon slayer right? Why not ask Levy if she has any books on them. Maybe they few things like this differently than us. I'd ask soon though, Mira has been eyeing him up. So has Lucy."

"Pfft, if I know one thing, it's that Natsu respects power and he could beat both of them easily."

"You can hold your own against him I take it? How is that? From what we've seen so far he is immensely powerful."

"As long as I can get his sword away from him yes. I have to use both of my magics and it leaves me out of the fight for about three days but yes. I've been training with him for years. But what about you Erza? Any special someone in your heart?" Ultear asked mischieviously.

Erza then became a blushing stuttering mess as she ran out of the room. Ultear chuckled lightly as she looked down at the face of the sleeping slayer. They had been through a lot together. And she was determined to make it through this mess. She vowed there, that if they severed these damned links that she would make the dense idiot notice her as a woman. The ship hit land relatively quickly and the trio immediately set out in searrch of the rambuctious Fairy Tail mages.

They came across them in the village, Gray was badly injured and Lucy was seemingly terrified, whether of Erza or the mission no one knew. As well as Elfman, screaming about men. After much arguing and begging, Erza agreed to continue the mission. The team trekked it's way back toward the temple that Gray, Lucy and Elfman found. On the way back to the temple, Gray explained how they found a demon from his past, Deliora, frozen in ice below the temple. After confronting the people who they found here, he learned that the main culprit behind it all was his former friend Lyon, who trained under him with a woman named Ur. Unbeknowest to the Fairy Tail mages, Ultear stiffened slightly hearing her mother's name. Natsu grabbed her hand and squeezed gently.

Natsu jogged up to Erza whispering in her ear. Ultear grimaced slightly, clenching her hands into fists. She didn't like seeing Natsu that close to her. She knew that Natsu respected Erza and the power she held. That's why she had bent the truth somewhat during her conversation on the ship. She didn't want Erza to know that they were on somewhat of a level playing field. But soon her pink haired friend was beside her again, dragging her away from the rest of the group. The two arrived at the temple, quickly reaching a large hole in the floor on the inside. Scooping Ultear up bridal style, Natsu jumped down the hole, with Ultear screaming and hitting him the hole way. After a bit more walking the two soon found themselves in an antechamber and before them stood a hulking demon encased in ice. Seeing the demon, Ultear seemed frozen in place. This was her last oppurtunity to see if it was true, if her mother really did abandon her, or if she blew everything out of proportion like she always did.

Looking at Ultear who stopped suddenly, Natsu gently nudged her, "Hey Ul, are you sure about this? We don't have to talk if you don't wanna?"

Ultear shook her head, she had spent years wondering if she was wrong. The only flesh and blood she had left in the world and she had loathed her. For years. Maybe she could have changed all that.

"No. I need to do this Natsu. It's not if I want to. I have to know what happened. But..will she tell me the truth?" Ultear looked pleadingly at Natsu, and he felt as if his heart shattered.

"Ultear, the dead or parting hold no sway over the living. Secrets are for those who are struggling to stay alive. Not those who have already begun the long voyage. If you're sure I'll have to start now. This spell will be taxing."

Ultear nodded her head once, slightly afraid to speak. Natsu sat cross legged in front of the frozen demon, his hands resting palm upwards on his knees. A purple aura surrounded the man, and when he opened his eyes they were a deep violet color. Slowly his magic began to pour into the ice surrounding the demon. Slowly, another aura began to flow from the ice and take shape. Soon standing before Ultear was a woman who looked like an older version of herself, but with shorter hair.

She smiled at Ultear before she began to speak, "My daughter, my beautiful, wonderful baby girl. I've missed you so much."

Anger seemed to radiate of of Ultear, "How dare you! How can you even say that! You abandoned me! And you replaced me!"

"Ultear, I searched and searched for you..you were sick. And the doctors I took you to..they lied to me. They said you had died, and that your body was...too much for me to bear."

"Then what about the two kids you got after that! Gray and Lyon!"

"I stumbled across those two in very different, very interesting ways. And they helped ease the pain of losing you, but never did I ever replace you."

Ultear stood silently, before her mother walked toward her, placing her hand on her daughters head. Ultear's eyes snapped open as memories flooded her mind. Everything Ur said was true. Tears stung at Ultear's eyes as her knees buckled and she stumbled forward, only to be caught by her mother in a loving embrace. And then she cried, tears overflowing as she hugged her mother. Rubbing her back, Ur held her daughter as she cried, happy to finally be reunited with her family once more.

But it couldn't be helped that Ur had a mischievious side as she whispered in her daughter's ear, "Your pink haired friend is strong, he's cute too. No wonder he grabbed your attantion."

Ultear stuttered blushing, "It's not like that! He, we...we're just friends!"

"Hahaha you're too easy to tease. You should snatch him up before someone else does. But he can't hold this spell for much longer."

"But then..you'll be gone. Can't we save you!?"

"No little one. But don't worry, I'll always be with you."

Ur then stepped back and slowly began to fade away, a loving smile on her face. Soon she dissappeared, and her daughter was left standing alone. Staring at the ground, the violet haired woman thought over the words and memories her mother shared. She had been wrong all along. Everything could have been different. She could have had a family, a mother. She wouldn't have been alone. Alone...Ultears eyes snapped open, no she was not alone. She had Natsu. He was always there, from the very begining. He made her laugh, held her when she cried. She could always come to him with her problems. He went out of his way to make her happy, to make her laugh. And he always protected her, even if he would almost die in the process. No she was not alone.

Turning, Ultear ran over to her friend, falling to her knees to catch him as he slumped over. Embracing him, she held his head to her chest, squeezing him gently. Smiling slightly, he reached up to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Ultear sobbed even harder then, squeezing Natsu tighter as she cried. The two stayed embraced up until they heard a rumbling noise. Looking toward the sound, they realized that the ceiling was open and moonlight was pouring in on the ice surrounding the demon.

Ultear gasped as suddenly, Natsu shoved her away, hard. Ultear skidded across the ground, turning to glare at her friend, only to watch in shock as a giant fist impacted his body and sent him flying across the cavern. Natsu crashed into the oppisite wall with a sickening crunch, blood spurting from his mouth. A roar filled the cavern, coming from the hulking beast Deliora, as it stood in all of it's glory and rage. Ultear stared in shock as the creature sung at her. Recating quickly she rolled out of the way, sprinting toward her comrade, only to see him launch himself at the demon. "Don't touch her!" the pinkette snarled as he struck the demon, only to once more be swatted away. Deliora looked toward the violet haired woman, energy built up in its maw. The creature blasted its roar of demonic energy toward the woman.

An explosion ripped through the cavern, destroying most of the temple above, freeing the beast from the whole of it's prison. The creature jumped from the cavern, landing in the forest on a quest to cause destruction and death. The smoke from the blast cleared and Ultear opened her eyes in surprise, expecting the demon's roar to hit her completely. But there standing in front of her, was Natsu. His jacket was destroyed, cuts and burns littering his torso. His left arm hung limply at his side, blood covering it, dripping off his fingers to the ground. Smiling brightly at Ultear, he fell forward onto the ground. Frantically Ultear began shaking her friend, tears streaming down her face, only to jerk around as a hand touched her shoulder. She crouched over Natsu, glaring at the person that grabbed her, ignoring the promiscuos position they were in.

Erza jerked back, terrified, not at the state of Natsu, but the look she received from Ultear. She looked like she wouldn't hesitate to tear the scarlet knight apart with her bare hands. The look she gave was that of a person on the edge, like she had nothing to lose.

"Ultear," Erza spoke tentively, "We have to defeat Deliora or Natsu will die."

It was then that Erza noticed the magic power leaking from the violet haired woman. She gave off a strong pressure, so much so that Erza stumbled falling to one knee. Then the time mage dissappeared from veiw, only to reappear in front of Deloria, delivering a strong kick to it's jaw. The creature stumbled slightly, but what shocked the knight the most was that Ultear was using Natsu's katana. She held it in a reverse grip, with her lacrima orb in her left hand rather than her right. "Luminous Minutes!" Ultear screamed, as her orb flew from her hand, hundreds of them spawning above the creature. As beams of light shot toward the beast, the woman jumped from a tree, throwing the blade, "Flash Forward!" And again hundreds of copies sailed torward the demon, and both attatcks hit it at once. A giant fist shot out of the smoke straight towards Ultear. The violet haired woman jumped up landing gracefully on the fist. Running up the creatures arm she jumped at it's face, grabbing Natsu's katana as it flew back toward her hand. Stabbing the demon in the eye, she let her body weight rip the blade down.

Before Ultear hit the ground the creature roared in pain, swatting her away. The woman flew through the forest, coming to rest on the ground. Coughing, she struggled to her feet to glare at the demon. Her clothes were ripped, hanging in tattered rags on her body, and she was covered in cuts and bruises, but she wasn't done yet. She had to protect him. "Frozen Crone!" Thorny vines and roses shot forward, hitting the demon, giving Ultear a small respite to think of a plan.

Closing her eyes she built up her magic energy, switching the grip she had on her friends blade. Channeling her magic energy into the sword, she placed both hands on the hilt, crouching into a quick draw stance. Opening her eyes she stepped forward, she quickly slashed with the katana, "Bonded Magic Unison Art: Void Dragon's Blade Rendering Cuts: Infinite!"

A surge of light purple energy shot from the blade in the shape of a thin crescent moon, ripping through the demon. Another formed facing the oppisite way, slightly smaller, shooting through the beast. Then another and another, left, right, front, back, top, bottom. Ultear watched as she slowly sunk to her knees, losing conciousness, hoping that it had been enough.

 _"Ultear," The teenage woman looked up at her companion, he looked worse for wear. The two had just returned from a mission, taking out a surprisingly strong dark guild, that specialized in assassination. He had blended well, wearing a long black cloak, simple lose fitting sweats tied off right below his knee. Bandages covered his arms up to his elbows and the lower half of his face._

 _"Yes Natsu?" Ultear questioned, clasping her hands behind her back._

 _"I want to teach you something, so that nothing like that happens again.."_

 _Ultear gulped as she remembered fighting the creature in the arena.. "And what is that?"_

 _"I store magical power in my sword. I started ever since I met you, so you could use it to defend yourself. Since my magic is there, you can use it, like a unison raid. But first, yaa gotta learn how to use this." Natsu gave Ultear a shit eating grin, tossing his sheathed katana at her._

 _Time Skip_

 _"Again." Natsu sat cross-legged leaning against a tree._

 _Panting Ultear turned to glare at him. She was wearing black gi bottoms Natsu had given her, rolled up to mid calf. Her hair was failing in her eyes, sweat glistening on her brow. Bandages tied over her breast, hidden underneath a shirt in a tank top. Again she performed the sword technique that Natsu had shown her. And then she fell flat on her face. Sighing, Natsu rose from his seat, throwing his hands behind his head, "We're gonna try this a little different," he said, grabbing a wooden practice sword, "Get up."_

 _Ultear rose, eyeing Natsu warily, "Attack me." He said. Glaring Ultear lunged at Natsu, he side stepped, rapping her across the back of her shoulders. She spun, trying to cross him from shoulder to hip, he leaned back gracefully, hitting her again in the ribs. Frustration and rage consuming the violet haired girl, she slashed out at him wildly, slightly nicking his cheek, but what she didn't notice was his practice sword burying itself in her gut. She slumped over, once more hitting the ground._

 _Time Skip_

 _Ultear woke up to something warm, and she lookd behind her and saw Natsu. She was face down on her stomach and he was placing warm, flat, smooth stones on her back. It was nice, relaxing. Until Ultear realized she wasn't wearing any clothes. Shreiking she began to beat Natsu senseless, and cover herself at the same time. Catching her flailing hands, he cupped her chin, directing her face to look at his own. Blushing in shame she realised he had blind-folded himself, and then he gestured to the towel that had been covering her backside. Rubbing her head, he got up and began to walk away. The violet haired woman broke from her stupor, getting up and running after him ignoring her lack of clothing. She ambraced him from behind, pressing her chest against his back and wrapping her arms tightly around his torso._

 _"Natsu, I understand," She said. "Natsu?"_

 _"Natsu?"_

"NATSU!" Ultear jolted awake, her body aching and throbbing with pain. Covering her eyes to stave off the suns rays, she began to take in her surroundings. She was bandaged in various places on her body, and lying on a bed in what seemed like a crude hut. The violet haired woman looked around more, quickly spotting her pink haired friend on a bed a few feet from her. Surging up, Ultear quickly realized this was a mistake as she immediately fell back down.

"I would take it easy if I was you. You do realize it's only been a day right?" Erza stated dryly as she stood in the doorway.

"I just want to make sure Natsu is alright." Ultear grimaced, clutching her ribs.

"His arm is broken in three different places. He broke his left collar bone, and four ribs. He had internal bleeding and bruising, as well as obviously visable wounds littering most of his body. He also expended the majority of his magic. He woke up three times. The first time he asked for you. When we told him you were okay he passed out again. On his second rise to the world of the concious, he asked why you weren't here, he refused any further treatment until we brought you in. And the third time, he said that if anything happened to you because we weren't making you priority he would kill us all."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, he-he is very overprotective an-"

"It's fine, Master briefed me on everything you told him, as well as Mirajane. I understand where Natsu is coming from. You're very lucky to have him."

Erza left Ultear blushing at the other woman's words. Sighing, she struggled to her feet, and slowly made her way to Natsu's bed. She layed down beside Natsu, turning her back to him. Slowly the woman drifted to sleep, and neither of the two knew that Lucy and Erza were watching from outside.

"I still think there's a lot they aren't telling us, don't you Erza?" questioned Lucy, " I mean, I know Natsu is some powerhouse freak of nature, but Ultear too!?"

"Hmm I think so too, Ultear told me she never trained with a sword. But it looked like she did when she fought that beast," the scarlet knight replied, "But it isn't our place to questions their secrets. They haven't harmed us."

"Yeah I guess. It's just kinda scary I guess. They seem unbeatable."

"As a team they probably are. But as you can see it's obvious that Natsu isn't some form of super being. Besides, I know they won't hurt us."

"How?"

"This," Erza said as she held up the paper Natsu had given to her, "It seems to be the code Natsu was taught. It has what he said to me at the begining of our battle. Here read it."

Lucy took the paper and began to read.

 _As a warrior you shall live by this code, deviate from this and your stained hands shall help drag you down to the depths of the worst hell._

 _1\. Never take an innocent life_

 _2\. Only one may be the victor_

 _3\. Be prepared to die so that you will ensure you will live_

 _4\. War and Peace these are the sides of your soul_

 _5\. Greet your enemy with the appropriate honors_

 _May strong be the blade that carries you to victory, swift the blade that sounds the call of your death._

"I don't really get it." Said Lucy as she scratched her head.

"It doesn't matter, most people would not. But we can trust them. Besides, we all have secrets."

Time Skip

Two more days passed before Natsu was able to get out of bed and function how he used to. And the entire time Ultear stayed by his side. The two learned that Erza and Gray had shattered a thin layer of magic covering the island, reverting it's people back to their original state. After a little more traveling the group arrived back at Fairy Tail to deliver their news to the Master.

The guild was as loud and rambunctious as ever when the mages entered. Gray and Elfman immediately headed towards the brawl in the center, while Erza drug Lucy to debrief Master Makarov. Ultear and Natsu found themselves at the bar, greeted by the friendly smile of Mirajane. For awhile the three engaged in conversation before Natsu leaned torward Ultear and whispered in her ear. She nodded her head and the pinkette stood up, taking off his coat he draped it over her shoulders and walked out of the guild. Mira looked questioningly at the violet haired woman, but Ultear just shook her head.

"He's going to train, and he always leaves his jacket. I haven't figured out why he loves it so much. He had me restore it from basically being nothing but threads on Galuna." Ultear stated shaking her head.

"Well how did he get it?" Mira asked

"Hmm I think it was around three or four years ago. We had gone to some ruins that had been scheduled for a dig site. Natsu being, well...Natsu, started snooping around and got us lost. But we found the symbol the two of us wear on one of the walls with some draconic writing that meant a lot to Natsu. So I made him the jacket a few days later."

Mira started laughing lightly then, "I think I understand now. Anyways, what all does he do for training."

"Let's just go watch, and grab Erza too. She'll want to see this."

The trio of women made their way to a large house, secluded deep in the forest. Gesturing for the two to wait outside, Ultear opened the door. Exiting the two Fairy Tail mages realized she had left Natsu's jacket in the house. Gesturing at them, Ultear led the way towards a large clearing several hundred feet behind the house. And there was Natsu in what seemed to be a pre-made training area. There were around 20 very realistic manequins, all equiped with various weapons. The pinkette sat in the center, in simple gi pants, bare-footed and shirtless, he had weights on his wrists and ankles, as well as a blind-fold.

Suddenly the training dummies started moving of their own accord. Mira and Erza were in awe with what they say, whilst Ultear just sat in the shade of a tree. Natsu sayed to and fro, parrying blows, ducking and dodging. But the trainers would fight back and re-analyze his technique quickly. Slowly, the movements of almost all of the figures in the clearing became exteremly hard to follow. After around ten more minutes, all movement stopped. Natsu was in the middle of 5 of the dummies, the other 15 down for the count. With his blade in a reverse grip, with the actual blade tight to his forearm, Natsu used the hilt to block one sword strike, use the tip to prevent another trainer from getting any closer. The third and fourth were a little more well positioned, one which Natsu grabbed, barely keeping the sword tip from his ribs. And the fourth, he had leaned his head to the left, almost getting cut. But the fifth trainer had its sword pointed at the back of Natsu's neck.

The 6 men seperated, bowing to one another. All the trainers got up and went to sent cross-legged in a line. Natsu turned and smiled at the three women, earning a blush from Erza and Lucy. Unsee by either them or Natsu, Ultear shot them a glare. Gesturing to follow him, the pinkette walked inside. Ultear sat with the two Fairy Tail mages, while Natsu went to get cleaned up.

The area of the house was spacious, with two large couches and a fire place. A bar cam across and seperated the kitchen from the living area and a hallway led to what could be assumed to be the bedrooms. Tucked in the corner was a staircase that led up to the second level.

"This house is amazing Ultear!" Mira said in slight awe.

"It's really nothing. Natsu hates it, says he could've done better." Ultear smiled.

"Wait he built this!?"

"Hmm we did. But the overall design was his."

"That's really amazing."

"He'll disagree. Anyway, I trust the two of you are staying for dinner?" Ultear asked as she stood from her chair and headed toward the kitchen.

Erza followed behind her, "Say Ultear, what kind of training was that?"

"That was a specfic training of Natsu's own design. He uses one of his spells that embues the trainers with energy, allowing dead warriors to assist him in training. That way he works his magical capacity and his swordsmanship all at once."

"That sounds, well amazing really."

"Well he's an amazing person. By the way, he mentioned that you wanted to train with him?"

"Oh yes, I think it would be a very worthwhile experience!"

"Alright, I'll let him know."

Ultear finished making dinner relatively fast, and almost as soon as it was done Natsu was seated at the table. The four ate, chatting about little things, such as Erza training with Natsu. Soon the sun had begun to set, and the two Fairy Tail mages bid their hosts goodbye. Ultear told Natsu she was going to shower and head to bed. Humming in response, Natsu cleaned up the dinner table and washed all the dishes. The two curled up in bed, unbeknowest to them, enjoying the last bit of peace they would have for several days to come.

Scene Change

A cloaked figure stood on the shore, pouring magical energy into the hulking beast that was half submerged in the water. Slowly the beast began to stir slightly, it's wounds fading away.

"A pitiful display Deliora, Master will be most displeased. But we'll fix that now won't we." The figure began to laugh as a light engulfed him and the demon, both of them vanishing from sight.

 **Sorry I took so long guys! Work was killer the past few weeks. But here's this chapter, and I'm working on the next which should be up in about a dayish. Hope you enjoy. I thought this chapter was kinda eh.**


	5. Challenge Issued and Accepted

Ultear woke with a start, hearing a pounding at the door. Grumbling she rose from bed, careful not to wake the pinkette beside her. Trudging to the door she threw it open, only to be met with the face of a very angry Erza and Gray. Slightly startled Ultear jerked back, and Erza pushed her way inside.

"The Master would like to speak with both you and Natsu. Immediately." The redhead said in a commanding tone.

Ultear scoffed, "That's a very impolite way to attempt to get us there. Leave, Natsu and I will be there shortly."

"No, you're coming with me. Now."

"I said leave." Ultear's eyes flashed dangerously as she spoke.

Erza stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, "I said we were leaving now."

"That's enough," The new voice caused both woman to look toward the hallway. There stood Natsu, his hair covering his eyes as he emitted a strong aura.

Walking up to the scarlet knight he leaned very close to her ear and whispered, "Now Erza, you will let go of Ultear's arm before I remove yours from your body. If your stripping friend doesn't lower his hands, I'm going to beat him to a pulp with your arm. We'll all leave for your Guild as soon as I eat."

Erza and Gray stood awkwardly off to the side after that as Ultear made breakfast. Natsu lounged on the couch, looking like a large cat. The two ate relatively quickly and in a tense silence, sharing occasional glances. Soon all four mages left to make their way to the Fairy Tail Guild. Ultear gasped in shock when they reached it, and Natsu merely raised an eyebrow in surprise. The guild had multiple metal rods jutting through it, overall all it looked like a giant pin cushion. Erza led them downstairs to the basement, where they were greeted with most of the guild. The tiny guild master glanced toward Natsu and Ultear, gesturing for to follow him.

Arriving at what seemed to be a very large storage closet, the Master turned around and began to speak, "I'm sorry about Erza. Some of the guild members jumped to conclusions once the guild was found like this."

"It's fine. I know who did it, if that helps. But that's not all you wanted us here for, is it old man?" Natsu asked leaning against the wall.

"No, it's not. You helped my children. At very great risk to yourselves. Our medical practitioneer, Porlyusica, says she can sever this link of yours."

Ultear gasped slightly, "She's sure? When can it be done!?"

"She's on her way here now. Don't worry."

"Back to the matter at hand old man," Natsu spoke up eagain, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, it was just an empty guild hall, and this," the short man spoke gesturing around him, "All of this can be repared."

Natsu scoffed and pushed his way out of the room, leaving the other two in a stunned silence. Ultear reacter quicker than the short guild master, bowing quickly, saying she would explain his reason. The short man waited patiently as Ultear explained.

"I'm sorry if he offended you, but you offended him first," Ultear began slowly raising her hands to stop the master's interruption, "He and all dragon slayers have certain attributes and...cultural quirks."

"As a dragon slayer, Natsu takes on the qualities of dragons. He'll have one mate and form a bond with them, for example. Another issue is the division of territories. Natsu is, by birthright, a Prince of Dragons. And the man who did this is also a dragon slayer. Now, since Natsu has been frequenting your guild the past few days that shows a claim to this place as his territory. But since he respects your power he doesn't stake this as his own and won't retaliate without your permission."

"Why exactly does he need my permission?"

"Hmm..well he doesn't really. It's a sign of respect. Natsu's father was the Dragon King of the Void. He is one of the Warring Clans. And more often than not, the Warring Clans would be hired or forced into slavery to act as mercenaries for other Clans. So to Natsu, in repentance for his debt to you for helping us, he is acting as your mercenary. And you saying you aren't going to do anything about it aggravates him. But the only person that could give him permission to act on this would be you, the Master of the Hold, a Queen, or his mate, which would also be a Queen."

"Hmm, well I would like if you would both explain this in more detail sometime. But Porlyusica should almost be here so you should go find your friend." The small man stated as he walked out of the room.

Ultear sighed as she trudged back through the guild scanning the room for her pink haired friend. Again, luck seemed to not be on her side as she couldn't find him anywhere, she pushed her way out the doors to wander Magnolia. The sun had set, and the streets were vacant as the violet haired woman wondered the town. Soon she lost herself lost in thoughts of her pink haired friend.

 _"He just doesn't make any sense sometimes...he shouldn't let things like this get to him as much. Especially when people don't understand. And I wish he would notice the people that do.."_

Ultear broke from her thoughts when she heard a small shuffling noise somewhere behind her. Turning Ultear found herself face to face with a large man before suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on the side of her head and crumpled to the ground. Scooping her up, the man slung her over his back. Looking around, he jumped high into the air and disappeared into the night.

The sun rose the next day as Natsu begrudgingly made his way back towards town. He had spent most of the night wandering the forest. He felt bad that he had left Ultear behind. She was the only one who truly understood him. As he got closer to town, the sharp metallic scent of blood hit the pinkette's nose. Sniffing the air once he caught the scent, stronger than before, mingled with he would described as inked paper. Sprinting off in the direction of the scent, Natsu found himself pushing through a crowd at the park. After moving several people out of the way, he found himself behind most of the Fairy Tail Guild, hearing their small master proclaim war on the Phantom Lord Guild.

However, the person Natsu had wanted to find most wasn't around. He began to search frantically for his violet haired companion, once more pushing his way through the crowd. Running as fast as possible, he sprinted home, throwing open every door. Not finding her there he returned to the town. Soon he caught her scent and followed it until it mingled with another. A slight growl rumbled in his throat and his eyes flashed with a dangerous intent. Turning he ran towards the trail of the Fairy Tail mages. Catching up to them quickly, he brushed past them, heading the charge toward Phantom Lord's Guild Hall.

Scene Change

The mages of Phantom were drinking and laughing, joking about how easily Gajeel beat three of their members and captured the time witch as they liked to call her. However they soon turned as a strong magical pressure brought many to their knees and the halls doors disinegrated. In strode Natsu, his body oozing killer intent and his eyes filled with rage. Many mages cowered in fear as they had heard tales of the almighty Hollow, a harbinger of death. And then he spoke.

"Where is she," his words came out as barely a whisper, promising ill fortune.

One bolder member spoke up harshly, "Hopefully by now she's getting fucked by our Master!"

And then Natsu was there, holding the speaker by the throat, staring into the man's eyes. The man began to wet himself as fear crept into the very fibers of his soul. Slowly, Natsu lowered the man down, moving his hand from the man's throat to his shoulder. Leaning in close, the pinkette whispered in the man's ear, "For that, I'm going to take your soul. Void King Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Reaper's Bounty."

And the man began to scream and jerk, his body twisting and writhing. Bones snapped as the Fairy Tail mages watched in horror. Agonizing slowly, a bluish purple figure began to rise from the man. But the pain didn't cease, as the man's soul seemed to still be attached to his body. Bloody red strands ripped from the man's soul as it finally pulled away. The man's lifeless corpse fell to the ground with a wet thud as Natsu sucked his soul down his gullet like a snack.

Master Makarov stepped and spoke sternly, "Natsu, we are Fairy Tail mages! We do not take a life, no matter what the cost!"

As Natsu looked back his eyes flashed and the tiny man involuntarily stepped back, "You don't kill old man. I will obliterate the entire world, every realm, universe. Every man, woman and child would die by my hands if they stood to harm my Light."

Snapping his head back toward the Phantom mages he spoke again, "Now tell me. Where. Is. My. Light."

A member slowly stepped forward, "She's down stairs. We aren't 'arm 'er sir."

"You can leave. Your soul speaks true."

The man sprinted past the pinkette, running through the Fairy Tail mages. Watching the man go, the pinkette stared toward the floor. Suddenly, he punched straight down, shattering the floor and descending in to the depths of the guild. As he did, Makarov ordered his mages to attack as he thundered up the stairs toward Jose. Natsu landed gracefully on the floor, looking up slightly as a metal rod collided with his face. Quickly, Natsu recovered and jumped back, entering his dragon force. A tornado of what seemed and felt like shredded steel flew out of the shadows tearing into Natsu.

As he got hit, the pinkette rolled backwards, springing to his feet firing his own roar back toward the shadowy depths. Then he stood, raising his voice to speak.

"I know you are there Black Steel. Come out so we can do this properly." Natsu commanded.

Stepping out of the shadows came a man slightly taller and larger than Natsu. Peircings covered his face and arms. His striking blood red eyes stood out from his face, framed by a long mane of shaggy black spikes of hair.

"I, Gajeel, son of Metalicana, heir to the Clan of Black Steel of the Aegis Clans, Defender of the North challenge you to a trial by combat." The man said, his voice booming.

"Speak your terms, so that I may answer your challenge."

"The old rules dictate our battle. A time and place will be chosen and to the victor shall go the spoils. If I win, you relinquish your territories to me. As well as the woman. You have my word upon honor that she wasn't harmed."

"If I win, you will never touch her again, but she leaves with me today and will be present for our battle. And you will acknowledge me as your Alpha, such is our tradition."

"Yes."

"Very well. I, Natsu Dragneel, the Hollow, Bane of the Forgotten One, son of Thoraxian King of the Void, Ferry of the Passed. Heir to the Clan of the Reaper of the Warring Clans, accept your challenge and terms, Gajeel of the Black Steel Clan. The clearing behind the Fiary Tail Guild, tomorrow at dawn."

Gajeel drifted back into the shadows, as Natsu rushed toward the scent of Ultear. He found her, laying down on a bed, magical restraints around her wrists. Her eyes widened in slight shock and relief when she saw him. Breaking the cuffs easily, he grabbed her bridal style. Jumping up through the hole he created, he was stunned to see Erza carrying Makarov, and ordering a retreat. Natsu followed suit, following the mages to their guild.

Porlyusica was already there when they arrived, as she had been waiting for Natsu and Ultear. She quickly ran toward Erza to diagnoze Makarov's condiiton.

"He has extreme magical deficiency. Take him to the infirmary." The pink haired woman commanded.

Turning her gaze to Natsu and Ultear, whom he still held she spoke again, "Come with me boy, and bring the girl."

The two companions followed the healer outside to a clearing. There, placed on the ground were two lacrima. Each was roughly the height of a large dog and the width of wagon wheel. Between them, an intricate symbol was drawn, connecting the two.

"Now, how this is going to work," the pinkette began, "Each of you will sit in front of a lacrima and place your palm on it. While you channel your magic energy into it, I'm going to use a spell that will force this link as you like to call it into the magic energy, using your magically energy as a river per say."

Natsu spoke quietly, "How will we know it worked?"

"The lacrima are sealed with the symbol you see on the ground. While they are being infused with your magic, each one will take on a specific color based on your magic, your original magic. And once the link is forced out, since it is magic, the lacrima will change color...and explode."

Glancing at Natsu, Ultear saw that he was already looking at her. He had a strange look in his eye, but he covered it with a heart warming grin. Reaching out he grabbed her hand that was closest to him. Then each one placed a palm on their respective lacrima. Porlyusica began to chant in a language that Ultear understood rather well thanks to Natsu. However, the old woman was speaking much too fast for Ultear to follow. An excruciating pain shot through Ultear's body, causing her to arch her back quickly and quickly sieze up. Runes shot up her and Natsu's bodies as he too was writhing from the pain.

After what seemed like hours, but was mere seconds the lacrimas changed. Ultear's turned to a pinkish hue similiar to her ice magic. Natsu's on the other hand became a deep purple, accented with black. The pain ceased and the two mages slumped over as the lacrima burst apart in a tiny cloud of fine dust. Slowly, Natsu rose to his feet and walked over to help Ultear.

Porlyusica then began to speak, "Your link is broken, and he won't have noticed a thing."

With that, she turned and headed toward the infirmary. Natsu picked Ultear up bridal style and began trudging back to their home. The duo arrived fairly quickly, kicking the door open and heading inside. It was then that Ultear voiced what she'd been meaning to ask Natsu since the incident with Phantom.

"Natsu," she began tentatively, "What happened between you and that other dragon slayer?"

"He issued me a challenge." Natsu spoke without turning around.

"And what were the terms?"

"...You..he wants you."

"What about you Natsu! What's going to happen if you lose!?"

"The victor decides. Ultear you know thi-" Natsu grunted as he shifted forward. Ultear was hugging him, her slender arms wrapped around his body, as she pressed her face and chest into his back. Tears leaked from her eyes.

"You shouldn't have accepted it..I can't lose you."

"And that's why I did," Natsu replied, turning so that he could pull the violet haired woman into his chest, returning her embrace, "I can't lose you. I won't. I'm not doing this for the sake of tradition. I'm doing this for you."

Ultear looked at Natsu as he gave her a closed eye grin, melting her heart. She squeezed him tighter, praying to anything that would listen that this wouldn't be the last time she got to be held by him, see his smile. Because without him, nothing was worth it to her anymore. The two broke apart and moved toward the couch. Ultear curled up leaning into Natsu for support and warmth. Soon the two quickly fell asleep.

Time Skip

All of the Fairy Tail mages had gather in the clearing behind the guild hall once Mira had nicely asked Warren to send a telepathic message out, stating that Natsu was going to fight Gajeel Many people were whispering amongst themselves, wondering how quickly Natsu would win. Ultear stood off to the side, the red eyed woman looking slightly frantic. Erza noticed this, pointing Ultear out to the Master as the two walked over.

"Ultear," Erza started gently, "Why do you look so nervous? Natsu is strong. He'll be fine."

The violet haired woman struggled to hold back tears as she spoke, "Natsu's taught me all about dragon culture. The Black Steel Clan was one of the strongest. And he falls under the Aegis Clan, that means he would've been trained in the ways of a guard. They are just as strong as the warriors, if not more so."

"Well, you said Natsu defeated that vile creature from the arena?"

"That was in dragon force. Entering dragon force is strictly forbidden in territory disputes or Alpha challenges. And that's exactly what this is."

Mira chose that moment to speak up, placing her hand on Ultear's shoulder, "I'm sure he'll be okay."

Ultear shook her off and pointed to the match, the two dragon slayers had finished the common courtesy of introductions and both stood a few feet apart. Gajeel stood, hand on hip, looking relaxed with a smirk on his face. Natsu stood back, his arms crossed with his face set in hard stern lines of contempt. But Ultear was the only one that noticed his eyes. Gone was the playful onyx color, replaced with a blackness that promised the threat of death. And then Gajeel surged forward.


	6. That Was UmWellll

Natsu leaned to the left slightly, the punch from Gajeel missing his face by inches. But the iron dragon slayer would not be deterred. Pivoting on his front foot, he slammed his elbow toward the temple of the pinkette. Ducking, Natsu threw a quick jab at the ribs of Gajeel, stunning the larger man. Shooting back, he made some distance between himself and the other slayer. Eyeing Gajeel critically, Natsu scoffed, shoving his left hand in his pocket, "If you aren't going to take this seriously, then forfeit now." Eyes hardening the raven-haired man surged forward again, unleashing a flurry of blows at the pinkette. Swaying back and forth, the Fairy Tail mages watched in awe as Natsu evaded Gajeel's punches. Until the last, when a sickening crunch was heard, and the void dragon slayer was launched back. Skidding to a stop Natsu looked up at Gajeel, a feral grin etched onto his face.

Ultear could only watch in shock as her friend was struck. She could tell that the hit hurt Natsu, even if he didn't show it. The violet haired woman began to rack her brain, frantically trying to recall all the history that Natsu taught her of draconic culture. Her eyes widened slightly as she recalled a memory of him explaining Alpha Ritual Fighting.

"The two had been traveling together for about six years, and Ultear had finally managed to get her pink haired companion to open up about the history of his kind, as she liked to call it. They were sitting around a campfire, when he agreed that he would explain one thing, every night if she reminded him, and answered a question of his own.

" _Hey, Natsu," Ultear spoke, gaining his attention, "You promised you'd explain your culture."_

 _Sighing the pinkette ran his hands through his hair, "Alright alright. I'll explain the hierarchy and the ways to become an Alpha."_

" _So, the Dragon culture is broken up into clans, the Warring Clans, Aegis Clans, Sawbones Clans, Initio Clans, and Legion Clans. Each clan has a set duty, based on the clan they are born into. Well, aside from the Legion Clan." Natsu paused for a moment before continuing, "And in each Clan are sub clans, ruled by a King, Queen or Lord. The only time the Clans co-mingle, is if a clutch is formed under an Alpha."_

 _Natsu looked at Ultear, when she nodded he continued, "Alphas are determined through strength, normally only fought with tooth and claw. Slayers, like myself are an exception to the rule and can use magic."_

 _Ultear sat for a moment before she spoke, "So your plan then, involves this? Becoming an Alpha?"_

" _Yeah pretty much. It's gonna be a pain." Natsu said._

Jerking herself from her thoughts, Ultear eyed the fight, being one of the few able to keep up with the dragon slayers movements. Gajeel had landed several more blows on her Dragon. Natsu had a cut above his left eye, blood dripping slowly down his face. Fists clenched tightly at her side, the red-eyed woman stepped forward. Hearing a grunt, her eyes widened as Gajeel flew into a tree, and Natsu looked right at her. He smiled, a full grin, that melted Ultear's heart, as if to say, "Don't worry."

Launching himself forward, Natsu grabbed Gajeel, easily lifting him up by the throat. Tightening his grip slightly, he spoke, "You have a lot to learn. Because of that…well you won't do for a Beta."

Slamming his fist into Gajeel's face, Natsu rained punches on the man with his free hand. Throwing him to the ground, he continued his onslaught, kicking and punching the raven-haired man. Planting his foot firmly on the man's chest, Natsu spoke once more, "But where you screwed up the most, was that YOU ALWAYS RESPECT THE QUEEN!" The last part of the pinkette's sentence came out as a bellow, shaking the almost everything around as he drove his fist once more towards Gajeel's face. Eyes widening slightly, Gajeel threw his hands up, "I yield! I submit to you as the Alpha!"

Natsu's fist stopped inches away from the iron dragon slayers face. Standing slightly, he offered a hand to Gajeel helping the man to his feet. Patting him lightly on the shoulder, Natsu turned and began to walk away, grabbing a slightly stunned Ultear by the hand and pulling her along with him. The two walked in silence for a while, before arriving at there home. Pushing his way through the door, Natsu sprawled out on the couch. Glancing at him as she walked by, Ultear grabbed a few bandages from the bathroom. Returning, she pushed Natsu forward, sitting behind him, letting him lean back onto her chest.

"You really need to stop making me do this you know." Ultear hummed as she cleaned the cut above his eye.

Natsu glanced at her, "You don't have to, but I won't complain. Have you spoken to the girls yet? Veil checked on the safe house recently."

"No, I haven't. We weren't supposed to be here this long."

"That's true…we'll leave tomorrow. But we still need to answer Makarov remember?"

Ultear was quiet for a moment before speaking, "Yes, yes I know."

The pink haired dragon slayer grabbed his friend's hand in his own, "Ul, you can stay if you want to. No one is stopping you."

Yanking her hand from his, the violet haired woman surged forward, leaving a bewildered dragon slayer behind. Sighing the pinkette walked at a slower pace but stayed close enough to keep track of his friend. He didn't want her disappearing again. After what seemed like hours to Natsu, his red-eyed friend finally stopped at a beautiful clearing that sat atop a cliff. Smiling to himself, the pinkette remember all the times they used to come up here together. He sat back, leaning against a tree and melting into the shadows it cast.

Ultear sat staring at the sky, mulling over thoughts of her dense pink haired friend. "He's just so stupid sometimes," she thought, "Traveling around together all this time and he thinks I just want to up and leave!? I can't believe him."

Sitting down, she wiped stray tears from her eyes. Ultear remained where she was for hours, well after the sun dipped down out of the sky and the stars began to flitter into existence. After the moon rose to its peak, Natsu removed himself from his hiding spot and carefully approached Ultear. Looking down at her he smiled, she had fallen asleep. His gaze faltered however, as he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. Sighing he reached down and gently picked her up in a bridal carry. The woman snuggled into the warmth of his chest in her sleep, and a sigh left her throat.

Ultear woke up the next day extremely warm. Rolling over, she realized that she was in her and Natsu's home, as the smell of cinnamon and campfire invaded her nostrils. Looking around, Ultear noticed that her friend wasn't in the room. Stretching, Ultear rose from the bed, walking outside. Natsu was there, shirtless, training with his katana. His eyes were closed as he gracefully went through a series of movements.

He turned to swing in a sideways slash as Ultear darted forward. She slides under the blade, pushing off her feet from below Natsu, surging up to strike him in the chin. Grabbing his sword hand, she pulled him forward, elbowing him in the face and breaking his grip on the sword. Shoving him back, she took a fighting stance. The pinkette opened his eyes grinning at the time mage, "Let's see if you still got it."

Rushing toward her, Natsu threw a high round kicked toward her head. Throwing her hands up she allowed the kick to strike her fore arms, wrapping her left arm around his shin. Stepping in she went to sweep his leg. Jumping up slightly Natsu allowed his weight to drag them both backwards toward the ground. As the two fell, Natsu wrapped his legs around Ultear's ribs. She struck him hard in the thighs with her elbows, throwing his left leg over her head. The two continued to go back and forth for awhile before deciding to end it in a draw. Ultear went to shower as Natsu continued to train. After the pinkette showered, the two headed for the Fairy Tail guild.

Pushing the doors open, the two strode into the guild, looking around for the Master. Taking a seat at the bar, Ultear grabbed Mira's attention, "Mira, is the Master here? Natsu and I need to speak to him."

"Hmm, no he isn't. He'll be back shortly though, there was some business to take care of. A Magic Council representative showed up earlier." The white-haired beauty said.

"Who was it?" Ultear narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

Mira placed a finger on her chin, "Hmm I think his name was Rexus?"

Ultear's eyes widened slightly as she glanced toward Natsu. He inclined his head slightly, to show that he had heard. He walked up to Ultear and whispered in her ear. Draping his jacket over her shoulders, he vanished. The violet haired woman headed to a corner booth and sat, awaiting the master's arrival. She didn't have to wait long before the short man walked in. The two headed to his office and she sat down across from him.

He spoke first, "Have you thought about my offer?"

"Yes, I have actually," Ultear paused for a moment, "And I have a counter offer for you."

Ultear continued as Makarov inclined his head, "As Natsu explained before, we have a very stained history. And we don't want to provide that reputation for your guild. But you could benefit from our services."

"And how exactly could I do that?" The small master raised an eyebrow.

Ultear smirked, she had him now, "Because, your attempts to find someone to infiltrate Raven Tail? Please. That's mediocre. But what Natsu and I can do. Well, you won't have to get your hands dirty. And any information we get would be yours, to with as you see fit."

"What did your friend Natsu have to say about this? And how did you know about any of that?"

"Natsu leads a very simple life when it comes to certain things. He's a freelancer. A mercenary mage. He understands any information we have would benefit you, and when push comes to shove it'd be better to have a light guild on our side. As far as me knowing, well that's my job."

The small man stroked his mustache for a moment before he spoke, "Very well. I believe I can agree to terms like this. As long as you give me fair warning on anything you'll be involved in from here on out. Don't want you hurting my children."

Ultear was quiet a moment before she spoke, "About that…you need to tell them that if Natsu ends up on the other end, due to a job, they just need to stay out of his way."

"Here I thought you were offering assistance, not looking for a pass." Makarov said as he looked at the young woman.

"I'm not asking for anything. I'm telling you what you need to know to keep your people safe. Natsu is honor bound to complete the duties he's given. He's broken that bond one time, and that was for me. Believe me when I tell you, I can't and won't make him do that again. And if they get in his way, he will kill them, to protect his honor."

The master of Fairy Tail considered what the woman said before deciding to still agree to her terms. Ultear thanked the man, rising she left the office and headed down to the guild hall. As she rounded the corner and was almost to the bar, two shouts pierced her ears, "Mom!" And the violet haired woman was tackled to the ground. Looking up, she found herself underneath two smaller girls, one with blue hair, who was around the age of 7 and one with pink hair that was 12. Smiling, she scooped the two up in a hug. As soon as she put them down, she almost immediately regretted it.

"Mom! What's been taking you and dad so long?" The pink headed girl whined.

The blunette spoke up timidly beside her, "Yeah…m-mom w-where's dad?"

Hands on her hips Ultear fixed the two with a stern glare, "Wendy, Meredy I should be the one asking you two how on Earthland you got here."

However, before the red eyed woman could continue she was interrupted by a squeal, "OH MY GODS YOU AND NATSU MADE THE MOST ADORABLE BABIES!"

Scene Change

Natsu sat cross-legged with his back against a tree. He had changed his attire after he left the guild, even though he thought it would make little difference, considering his target. He wore a tasset, made mostly out of animal furs, over top of his normal pants. His legs were bandaged, from his feet to his knee, as well as his arms from hand to elbow. The pinkette didn't wear a shirt and had a mask over his face. His hair was temporarily dyed a dark brown. He watched as the man he'd been trailing came into view, stopping when he saw Natsu.

Sighing the man snapped his fingers, a long katana appeared in a flash of light, "You know, I told him that he shouldn't send me. But he doesn't listen."

Natsu eyed the man, but he stayed silent, so the man continued, "Obviously there's no way this could have been avoided I suppose. Well, come on then my friend, let's get this over with."

Rexus took a stance, crouched low with one hand resting on the hilt of his katana. Natsu did the same, eyeing the other man. Wind whistled through the forest, rustling the leaves and branches of the trees. Rexus surged forward, as did the void dragon slayer. The distinct sound of steel whispering from it's sheath was heard. Ripping cloth, followed by the sound of something wet hitting the ground. Natsu's eyes opened as he turned and stared at the man behind him. He had fallen to his knees after Natsu's blade struck him, hands clutching his stomach. Walking up behind him, the pinkette quickly severed the man's head. Flicking his katana clean of blood, he turned and began to walk away. As he was leaving he spoke, "May strong be the blade that carries you to victory. Quick the blade that sounds the call of your death. Warrior be strong and accept the fear of she who is named death. Warrior be kind and bear no ill will to those who try and kill you. Warrior be humble, your name is writ on a sword by death, but you have perhaps not yet met the wielder. Warrior, I am proud to hold the same title as you-"

Natsu was cut off as the strained voice of Rexus reached his ears, "Until we meet again my friend. Hold the gates, hold the line. For as you are now, I shall be. One day soon, you will greet me."

Scene Change Again

Ultear finally managed to forestall the questions of the two little ones and get Mira to return to a normal, functioning human being. And that unfortunately meant answer a multitude of questions. Before the long list of inquisitive thoughts could spring from the Fairy Tail mages, Ultear held up her hand.

"Everyone I'd like you to meet Wendy," She said pointing at the blue haired little girl. Pointing at the pink haired girl she spoke again, "And Meredy."

Before anyone could speak the red eyed woman spoke again, "Long story short is that Natsu and I adopted them. And I'm not answering anymore questions."

The Fairy Tail mages looked rather disgruntled as they went about their business, a few occasionally listening in to what Ultear said to the little ones, one such mage being Mira.

"Mommy, you still have told us were dad is!" The little blunette said.

Sighing Ultear ruffled her hair, "He had a job to do. And look, mommy has his jacket. You know that daddy will never, ever leave his jacket."

Meredy eyed her foster-mother warily, the violet haired woman had a mischievous look in her eye. However, before she could respond, two strong arms scooped up her and her sister. Spinning them around, Natsu laughed. It was a laugh that Ultear loved, because the only way it would come out if they weren't alone would be because of those two girls. The two girls giggled, hitting their adoptive father with everything they had. Chuckling still he set them down, and turned toward Ultear, "You talk to Makarov?"

"Yes. He went for it, just like we figured." The red-eyed woman smiled, "But we need to get a move on. There's a lot we can do now that this link is broken."

Natsu looked at his companion, trying to place the look in her eye, "We need to get these two home anyways. It's long overdue."

"It's not a far walk, I'm sure they'll be up to it."

Natsu grinned, his canines flashing, "No. Home."


	7. Fights Are a Good Way to Avoid Questions

Ultear looked at Natsu with wide eyes before she squeled and tackled the pinkette to the ground, crushing him in a hug. Laughing, the daughters of the two followed suit, jumping on the pink haired man. Grumbling Natsu gently pushed all three girls off of him. Standing, he dusted himself off, and looked at Ultear, head to one side.

She looked at him with a smirk on her face, "I like it there. It's quiet."

"Yes it is, but this time we'll need to give Makarov a way to get ahold of us. And Gajeel since he is a member of Fairy Tail." Natsu glanced around the guild as he spoke.

Ultear looked at him questioiningly, "Are you sure that's a good idea my Dragon?"

Shaking his head Natsu leaned in and whispered to Ultear. Nodding her head, the red-eyed woman grabbed the hands of the two girls and trudged up the stairs toward the master's office. Meanwhile, Natsu made a beeline for Gajeel, lifting him up by the collar and tossing him threw a portal he made with magic. The iron dragon slayer and all profanities on his lips disappeared quick as a flash. Ultear and the girls quickly came down stairs and stepped into a new portal that Natsu made. He followed in after them and the four vanished.

They arrived in a forest, greeted by a ver distraught Gajeel. He was tied up and gagged, with two armed individuals standing over him. One was a male, with snow white haire that rested shaggily on top of his head. He had two different color eyes, the left being blue and the right green. A jagged scar ran from his jawbone and disappeared underneath his shirt. Dressed in armor, he stood at Gajeel's side, a nagita clutched in his hand. The armor he wore was simple, plated steel, embolized with the same insignia as Natsu's jacket. Beside him stood a woman, she too had snow white hair, but her eyes were gray. No scars marred her face, and she could be described as beautiful, if she weren't scowling. She wore the same attire as the man beside her, but was armed with a kusurigama instead. Seeing Natsu and Ultear, she broke into a wide grin that rivaled Natsu's.

"Masters!" She sqeauled with excitement, rushing forward to hug Ultear, "It's been so long, we were afraid that you were never coming back!"

Stepping forward Natsu ruffled her hair, "Relax Jinx, this is our home. And that," he pointed at the iron dragon slayer, "that is the newest member of the clutch."

Hearing the pinkette's words, the white haired male reached down and hauled Gajeel to his feet. Removing the bonds and gag, he offered his hand out to Gajeel. Warily the iron slayer shook it, before taking a step back toward Natsu. The white haired man turned toward the void dragon slayer and spoke, "Master Dragneel. Everything is in order, just as you requested. However, Rolfe inquired to be told of your arrival. He wishes to speak with you."

"I'll go now then. Ul, I'll be home a little later. I have to make sure these two haven't burned the place down. Well, Jinx at least, Jax is level headed. Jax, take Gajeel would you? Get him fitted, and tell Lexa he'll do best with cestus'."

Nodding curtly the white haired male, now known as Jax, gestured for Gajeel to follow and disappeared into the woods. Ultear smiled at Natsu before she to turned and went into the direction of the two males, followed closely by Wendy and Meredy. The pinkette started walking a different direction, trailed by Jinx. Glancing over at her, he noticed the young woman was exceptionally quiet. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair as he spoke, "What is it Jinx? You'd think someone died with how quiet you're being."

Jinx glanced at her master, "Remember what you promised me before you left?"

"Yes I do…" Natsu's eyes were downcast as his shoulders sagged slightly, "But i-"

"NO BUTS! I am so tired of seeing you to skirt around each other. It's like you're the stupidest smart people ever!" Jinx glared up at Natsu, "So you two are gonna figure out whatever is going on or so help me."

Natsu waited for his friend to continue, but when she didn't the two resumed walking. Coming out into a clearing the two stopped. Standing before them was a large burly man. He was older than both of them, and you could see silver in his brown hair. He had a scraggly beard, that looked like he kept it trimmed with the knife ssticking out of his boot. An ornately designed cloth was tied around his eyes tightly. Around him were serval other people, various ages and genders. The large man turned and bowed at Natsu, and the others followed suit.

"Jinx, take this group and put them to work with whatever you need done," Natsu spoke, glancing at the woman beside him, "Oh and make sure your brother didn't kill our new friend."

Nodding, the white haired woman waved a hand for the rest to follow. One by one they followed suit, leaving Natsu and the large man alone. The large man spoke first, his voice rumbling and gravelly, like a small avalanche, "Well kid, I take it the little spit fire told ya I needed to talk?"

"Yes she did Rolfe." Natsu rested his hand on the hilt of his katana.

Rolfe turned his unseeing gaze toward Natsu's hand, "Relax kid. That ship 'as long since sailed. You won the pack remember? I want to talk about a mission for Erik. Get his mind right ya know? Losing Kinana can't 'ave been good for 'im. Undercover an the like. Reports on your desk."

"I'll give it a glance, but I trust your judgement when it comes to the clutch. Speaking of, introduce yourself to the new one. And be prepared for a few more." Natsu was already walking away as he spoke. He knew that Rolfe wouldn't move without his say so. But the Fire Devil Slayer had a tendency to jump the gun. Natsu didn't blame him though, most of this wouldn't have even existed if it weren't for Rolfe. He started the pack, and he was the Alpha for awhile until Natsu came along. Oh that fight was glorious, the pink haired man sighed wistfully as memories washed over him. One of the few fights were he almost lost his life.

Shaking his head he continued down an unbeaten path. Emerging from the woods, he looked around. A quaint looking house sat on the hill not to far from were he stood. That was his destination, since Ultear and the girls should already be there. Looking down he saw the main base of his clutch. It began as a decrepid castle until he took over from Rolfe. He tossed in a lot of money to establish this place as not only a place of operations, but also as a safe haven for all slayers. If he learned one thing from Rolfe, it was that all slayers, regardless of origin respected the Alpha law. The castle was rebuilt, with a large dining hall, kitchen and living qarters for everyone. There was even one floor that was solely for the use of Natsu and Ultear. They rarely stayed there though. Outside the castle seemed like a small village from one of Crocus's Before Magic Fair, a fun festival about the invention of magical items.

There was a smith and several stands that trusted merchants had set up. This place wasn't really marked on any map, but a lot of people passed through during the summer months. Smiling to himself, Natsu headed toward his him.

Pushing the door open, Natsu was greeted by a sight that never ceased to amaze him. The girls were asleep, Meredy on the couch with her legs resting on the top and her head dangling over the front. Wendy was beside her, with her head on Meredy's stomach and her butt in the air. And Ultear was in the kitchen cooking what smelled like fire chicken. Granted her cooking was amazing, she just refused to cookvery often, much to Natsu's dismay. Smiling to himself, he silently crept forward, listening as she hummed a simple melody in her sweet voice. Stepping forward a floor board creaked underneath his weight. And then everything went black.

Natsu woke up to Ultear fretting over him like she normally did when he almost died. Glancing at her, he smiled, "So, what happened exactly?"

Ultear mumbled something that Natsu couldn't catch even with his enhanced hearing, "What'd ya say Ul?"

"I hit you with a frying pan!" Ultear basically yelled before clasping her hands over her mouth.

Natsu looked at her like an owl before he burst into laughter. Angrily Ultear glared at him, before she started smacking him. "How dare you! I was worried sick, I felt terrible!" The angry violet haired woman continued to pumble Natsu until he shot from the couch. Ultear quickly gave chase, running after him around the house. After awhile the two stopped running and collapsed on the couch. Both sporting grins, Ultear glanced over at Natsu, "Everything go okay with Rolfe?"

"Yeah. He didn't try to kill me this time." Natsu replied as he leaned back into the couch.

The red eyed woman had her hands clenched in her lap, and heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she voiced her next question, "Natsu, what did you mean when you told Gajeel not to disrespect the Queen?"

"Huh? Ul, I already told you about queens in dragon slayer culture. Well I guess just slayer culture." Natsu looked at Ultear with confusion.

Sighing in frustration Ultear racked her brain to remember her conversation with Gajeel the day after his fight with Natsu.

" _Gajeel walked up to her, limping slightly as he awkwardly bowed, "I apologize. I misunderstood your position and disrespected you without meaning to."_

" _Um…I have literally no clue what you mean." Ultear deadpanned as she looked at the man._

" _But, the Hallow, he said…ohhh, I see now." Gajeel smirked._

" _You have five seconds to wipe that look of your face before I do it for you." Ultear's voice came out sharp and angry, her orb floating menacingly above her hand._

 _Putting his hands up Gajeel backed up as quick as possible, "Just ask him what he meant when he said to always respect the Queen."_

Ultear opened her eyes, staring at Natsu. The pink haired man began to sweat as his eyes darted back and forth. Ultear spoke again, her voice coming out sickly sweet, "My Dragon, what did you mean when you said that to Gajeel?"

Before Natsu could speak however the door flew open and Jinx rushed in. Quickly she dropped to one knee, her head bowed, "Masters, I apologize for unceremoniously barging in, but a message from the place you last visited, Fairy Tail, has arrived. They request immediate assistance, Phantom Lord has attacked.

Natsu, Ultear, and Jinx all arrived at Fairy Tail, stepping out of Natsu's Void Rift in the middle of the guild hall. Many members looked out them in relief and stared at Jinx in confusion. The guild hall was drestroyed, and Titania lay not to far away beaten, her armor broken, body bruised and bloody. Looking at Jinx Natsu jerked his head. The woman smiled, a feral smile, sending shivers down the spines of many of the Fairy Tail mages. She looked just like Natsu…she terrified them. Jinx sprinted out the doors, and launched herself toward the cannon tube on the walking guild of Phantom Lord.

Ultear let out an undignified squeak as Natsu uncermouniously dropped his jacket over her head. Leaning in close he whispered, "I meant exactly what I said. And now he knows." The pinkette vanished as Ultear shifted the jacket around so that sh was nestled in it's warmth. Inhaling she let Natsu's calming scent of a cinnamon filled fire enveloped her. She asked Natsu about this smell once, and he said he wasn't to sure how he ended up like that. It was something Thoraxian did to him one day, and being Natsu he just didn't question it. Turning she looked toward Mira, "Move Erza and everyone else out of the guild hall so I can fix it." The white haired woman nodded, and a powerful aura began to radiate off of Ultear in waves. Soon the guild hall began to repair itself.

Natsu appeared in the room where the lacrima for the Jupiter cannon was housed. Looking around he spotted an unconscious man, and the lacrima was in pieces. Shaking his head he trudged onward toward the sounds of fighting. Shoving his way through a door the pinkette was greeted with Jinx locked in combat with the guild master of Phantom Lord, Jose. Natsu leaned against the doorway as he watched Jinx. The grey eyed woman eyed the tall man warily as they circled one another. Suddenly his power spiked and he launched wave after wave of magic at the woman. Rolling out of the way Jinx ran partially up the wall, kicking off she flipped over the man. As soon as she landed she shot forward, delivering a strong punch to his ribcage. Fuming in rage Jose backhanded the white haired beauty sending her tumbling to the ground.

As he went to strike her again he gasped in surprise as a hand closed around his fist. Standing before him, arm outstretched, was Natsu. The pink haired man stood protectively above Jinx, his right heel pressed gently onto her stomach. Without the Phantom Lord master noticing he moved his heel around ever so slightly, creating patterns on the woman's stomach. Feeling her stomach tighten quickly before the tension left her muscles he smirked. Grasping Jose's fist the pink haired dragon slayer squeezed, crushing the man's hand. As he gasped in pain, Natsu shot forward and Jinx shot to her feet. Reaching forward she grasped Natsu's hand.

Launching her forward, she turned using her feet to strike the man, the force shoving him away from herself and Natsu. As she fell toward the ground she rolled backwards, using her hands to spring up and back to her feet. Looking at Natsu she grinned, "I guess all that training paid off huh?"

"I suppose it did. Now go make sure Ultear is okay. I'll deal with this," The pinkette commanded as he glanced toward Jinx, cracking his knuckles. The woman looked as if she wanted to argue but thought better of it. Nodding she turned and sprinted from the room, punching a hole in the wall and leaping out toward the ground. Turning Natsu looked at the master of Phantom Lord, crossing his arms and leaning casually against a wall. The tall man seemed to be offended by this, his face reddening with rage. But before he could lash out at Natsu, the pinkette held up a finger, "It's not me you should worry 'bout."

Turning Jose saw Makarov, an enraged look in the eyes of the smaller man. Before Jose could even utter a sound, the small master released an absurd amount of magical energy, building it up in his hands.

"This is done. I invoke Fairy Law!" The small master's voice carried throughout the room as a blinding light filled the area.


	8. Stained Hands Can't Be Cleaned

Natsu stood on a cliff over looking the town he called home. Down there was his clutch, family and friends…and her. The violet haired, red-eyed woman that he had come to love. The only person in the entirety of the world that could even remotely understand him, calm him. And here he was too afraid to admit his feelings for her. Jinx was constantly pestering him about it, in the way adoptive sisters tend to do. Sighing Natsu unsheathed his katana and began to practice. His movements precise and powerful as he danced around the clearing.

Ultear sighed as she thought again about what the council had said after Phantom Lords attack on the Fairy Tail guild.

Flashback

"Several brigades of Rune Knights showed up almost immediately after Fairy Tail crushed Phantom Lord, and almost immediately everything started to go downhill. Ultear narrowed her eyes as a brown-haired male with glasses stepped forward. She didn't recognize him so that meant several things in her mind. One was that he was new, and since he was in a Captain's position so quickly that must mean he is overly ambitious. Stepping forward the man addressed several wizards at once.

Pointing to the master he spoke, his voice laced with slight disdain and a condescending tone, "Master Makarov of Fairy Tail, for property destruction, an unsanctioned attack on another guild, and the harboring of a fugitive, you are to receive a summons to the Magic Council."

"Ms. Milkovich, the council also requests your presence to shed light on several recent events," The man cut Makarov off and then turned to Natsu, "Natsu Dragneel, also often know under the alias of The Hallow. It has recently come to are attention that you have ties to several dark guilds. Aside from Grimoire Heart, we have express evidence that you were once part of the guild, Black Hand. This guild is only known for its assassination jobs. Do you deny these charges?"

Natsu's hand rested lightly on the hilt of his katana as he glanced at Ultear. She nodded almost imperceptibly so the pinkette spoke, a smile breaking his features, "Yeah I did."

"I'll need more than that Dragneel."

"Well let's see…" Natsu struck a thinking pose, "There were five in Fryst, the owned a tavern. Michael and Leslie. Plus, the three bar-maids, Anne, Maria and Jackie. Lord Amal in the southern desert city, and all ten of his council. Jonathan and Maria Erikson, two northerners from Illut. Richard, Margaret, Jessica, Matthew, Fry, Lord Marks, Baron Duchane. A family of four in Crocus, Lizbeth, Jack, Liam, Markus and Jackson."

Lahar cut him off, "That's enough. You disgust me."

"I wasn't finished!" Natsu's magic poured out and the Rune Knights struggled to stay standing, "There was one more. A little girl…she turned seven that night, and her name was Lilian."

Lahar gestured to one of the knights, "Take his sword."

The man stepped forward and grasped Natsu's sword by the hilt. Shuddering suddenly the man began to scream. His voice came out shrill and high pitched like he was burning alive. Smoke began to pour from the pores on his body and his eyes lit up a bright blue. Slowly the man began to shrivel, his body withering like he aged a hundred years in a minute. The man's body lay as dust on the ground, the sword resting gently in it. Gingerly Natsu stepped forward and grasped his sword, "Anyone else wanna have a go?"

Ultear stepped forward, "Dragneel, it's useless to resist. Obviously, he wasn't strong enough to counteract whatever spell is on that sword. Hand it to me and go peacefully."

Sighing the pinkette hand the katana over to Ultear. The time mage shoved him forward hard, and he stumbled. Several Rune Knights rushed forward and restrained him. They led him to the back of an awaiting carriage and tossed him in. Lahar spoke a few parting words to Ultear and left. The time mage turned toward Fairy Tail, the mages around her stunned. Makarov stared at her, his face set in hard lines before he spoke, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

All the mages headed inside, staring at Ultear, the woman took a place on the bar turning to face them. Running her hand over her face she let out a long sigh, "I'm only going to explain this once."

Before she could finish Erza interrupted her, "Did Natsu really kill all those people!? He said he didn't kill innocents! You both did!"

Shooting her a harsh glare Ultear fired back her eyes flashing dangerously, "You know nothing about him! Shut your mouth and listen!"

"Makarov you remembered when I said Natsu went against his code of honor for me one time?" As the small man nodded Ultear continued, "That was the one time…"

Flashback

 _Natsu and Ultear were sitting in one of the safe houses provided by their employer. A list had come earlier and as Ultear read over it silent tears leaked from her eyes. Natsu glanced over to read what it said._

 _Dear Fate, Hollow, it has come to my attention that the guild Black Hand is in need of some assistance. Attached is a list of individuals that they require disposed of. Currently they are otherwise engaged with some overbearing political matters. You will take care of this._

 _Ultear looked at Natsu with wide eyes, "Natsu these are normal people…there's a child on here! I had all of them checked out. They lead normal lives…they have families."_

" _Shh, everything will be okay." Natsu hugged the sobbing woman, "I promise you that you won't bear this burden," Ultear gasped as Natsu delivered a chop to the side of her neck, catching her gently as she fell. Her consciousness was ebbing away as he walked toward the door, "My honor is nothing compared to your happiness." And with that he disappeared._

End Flashback

"So yes, he did kill those people. And he did it because of me. For me. So, you have no right to bad mouth him!" Ultear fixed another glare on Erza as her voice rose slightly faltering, "And he remembers them every single day and night! Especially that little girl!"

Ultear's voice broke then and the woman began to sob uncontrollably. Jinx walked up to her gently coaxing the woman into her arms. The master leaned back, stroking his chin in thought. The rest of the Fairy Tail mages remained silent, Erza's eyes downcast. When she moved toward Ultear to speak, Jinx released massive amounts of magical pressure, white scales forming around her eyes and on her fore arms. Her eyes became slitted, and her canines more pronounced. Pushing Ultear behind her she hissed at the scarlet haired woman, "As far as I'm concerned Ultear is my Queen. I'll kill you if you touch her." The woman relaxed slightly as the time mage put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Stepping forward she addressed the Fairy Tail mages.

"I understand how you're feeling…and I can't blame you." Ultear's eyes were downcast as she continued to speak, "But he risked his life for you today. He brought a member of his clutch that risked her life for you today. Hopefully you don't forget that."

The woman strode away, pushing herself through the doors, Jinx trailing right behind her. The mages they left behind were silent, warily glancing at one another. Slowly they milled away, each heading to find something productive to do with their time.

Natsu sat with cross-legged in the middle of his cell, his hands folded in his lap. His magic aura radiated gently around him, coming off in time waves. Eyes closed the pinkette's face looked peaceful, almost serene. However, his thoughts were confused and kept referring to his fight with Rexus…the man was dead, and he spoke. Sighing the dragon slayer allowed his memories to drag him back to Rexus, his friend, his brother, a warrior.

Flash Back

Natsu had been walking for what seemed like days. Ultear was doing council things and he wasn't allowed to be around. She said he tended to be reckless and speak before thinking. Scoffing, the young man shook his head. He wasn't reckless. Or at least he didn't think so. A scent caught his nose, interrupting his thoughts, shading his eyes with his hand he looked toward the smell. A man was walking toward him, from the way he carried himself Natsu could tell he was a warrior. Around Natsu's size, he was a little bulkier. He wore a simple samurai garb, one that Natsu had seen since he had trained with Thoraxian. The man's dark hair was hanging at his shoulders, a simple white band tied around his forehead. A katana rested on his left hip.

The two came to a stop several feet apart from each other and the man nodded toward Natsu, "Greetings, it seems we are at an impasse."

"Pfft why's that. We're walking different directions." The pinkette tilted his head.

"That we are. But unfortunately, you are a warrior. I am searching for strong opponents, and I cannot allow you to pass until we fight."

Sighing Natsu took a fighting stance, "I am Natsu Dragneel, The Hollow, Son of Thoraxian Dragon King of the Void, Ferry of the Passed. I accept your challenge, may strong be the blade that carries you to victory- "

"And swift the blade that sounds the call of your death. I, Rexus of the House of Ryrv accept your challenge." The man responded as he too took a fighting stance.

The two surged at each other, blades swinging in gracefully and deadly arcs. Sparks flew as steel struck steel. Sliding his blade down the other man's, Natsu twisted his blade right, over top of Rexus' and thrust forward. The man twirled, lifting his blade as he spun harmlessly out of the way. As he spun he switched the hand his katana was in, turning it back to stab Natsu. The pinkette twisted his upper body harshly, catching the tip of the man's blade on the hilt of his katana. Quickly the two separated, rushing toward the other. Again, was heard the clash of steel on steel, ringing throughout the canyon. The two matched each other almost perfectly, neither gaining or losing ground. Separating once more, the two locked eyes. Natsu had a feral grin on his face, a fire in his eyes, the thrill of the battle coursing through his veins. Finally, he had found someone worthy, one of them would die here today, and neither would regret sending the other to hell. An understanding had formed between the two, the moment their blades crossed. Surging forward Natsu and Rexus struck at the same time. Natsu's blade found it's marking, sinking through the side of the man's stomach. And the blade of Rexus buried itself into the pinkette's shoulder. Yanking themselves away the two stood panting before Rexus spoke, "You are worthy. And I would be honored to call you my friend."

Natsu grinned and bowed, "The honor is mine. You know and abide by the Warrior's Code."

"Indeed…Natsu, people like us are a dying breed and I refuse to allow myself to die a death that isn't befitting the men of our kind. If the time should come, I want you to be the one I have my final battle with."

"Very well. Don't worry my friend, we'll meet again."

And with that, the two parted ways.

End Flash Back

 **Author's Note**

 **Sorry for the short chapter, I have a lot going on in life, so I wanted to get this out of the way, to at least give a little something. And to explain some things.**

 **May strong be the blade that carries you to victory, and swift the blade that sounds the call of your death-This is pretty much the whole live by the sword die by the sword. And only individuals that are taught a certain code utter these words before a battle. You'll learn more about Rexus in other chapters. I just wanted y'all to understand that he and Natsu did meet before and their friendship continuing to blossom as well as how Rexus ended up working for Natsu's 'employer' will be explained in later chapters.**

 **May strong be the blade that carries you to victory.**

 **Swift the blade that sounds the call of your death.**

 **Warrior be strong and accept the fear of she who is named death.**

 **Warrior be kind and bear no ill will to those who try and kill you.**

 **Warrior be humble, your name is writ on a sword by death, but you have perhaps not yet met the wielder.**

 **Warrior I am proud to hold the same title as you, until we meet again my friend.**

 **Hold the gates, hold the line. For as you are now I shall be, one day soon you will greet me.**

 **This is another one of the things that you'll hear between people like Natsu and Rexus throughout the story. It's a prayer of sorts because everyone who follows the code must adjust their mind to certain levels of acceptance. This'll be explained more as well.**

 **And finally, the reason I had Natsu outright murder I think like thirty people was to show the level of love and compassion he has for Ultear. In this story Natsu was raised as a warrior. You'll get flashbacks of it, but in a nutshell, he is literally an honor bound individual. Without that he is basically nothing. And he was willing to throw that away for her.**

 **Well I hoped you liked it! Review please! And let me know what Fairy Tail mage you think Jinx should be paired with over the next few chapters! She's going to be a very prominent character in later chapters.**


	9. Ultear Finally Confesses!

Ultear woke up to an empty house and a note on the table. Glancing at the note she saw that Jinx had shown up early to take the girls at Natsu's request. Sighing the violet haired beauty ran her hands through her hair. Sitting at the table she let the past days events wash over her.

Flashback

Ultear headed straight to the Magic Council building after her argument with Fairy Tail. Arriving she pushed through the doors, heading for the cells on the lower floors. Stopping at a front desk she eyed the security guards warily. They were new, and she wasn't sure if she could get Natsu out this time. As she walked up one stepped forward and spoke, "Ah Miss Milkovich, we received word earlier that you would be arriving and Dragneel was to be released into your custody."

"Word? From who?" Ultear spoke suspiciously.

The guard rubbed the back of his head, "Above my pay." Handing her a letter he continued, "I was told all the details are in here. Your eyes only."

Going off to the side away from prying eyes, Ultear tore the letter open and read.

"Dearest Fate, it has come to my attention that The Hollow has been temporarily indisposed. I have ordered the immediate termination of his criminal record, and his release into your custody. I expect a larger amount of discretion in future assignments sent down by me. Granted this was accomplished years ago but admitting to such a task. Well, it could fall back on me."

Sighing, Ultear thanked the guards and her and Natsu left the building.

Flashback End

Getting up the violet haired woman left her home in search of Natsu. After searching for what seemed like hours, Ultear finally found her pink haired slayer. He was in the forest behind her home, in the only open clearing there was for miles around. He often came here to train or meditate if he felt he was in turmoil. Surprisingly, he was not alone. Jinx and Jax were both there, the white-haired twins facing off against the pinkette. Meredy and Wendy were off to the side, napping by the tree line. Ultear watched as the three slayers fought. The twins were in dragon force as the rushed toward Natsu. Jinx threw a strong kick toward the side of his head. Ducking underneath the kick the pinkette jabbed her in the calf, hard.

As she fell back off balance, Jax leapt over her, bringing his hands down to hit Natsu on top of his head. Throwing a forearm up, Natsu caught the blow on it, countering by tossing the other male back. Jinx shot up into a hand stand, spinning at the same time with her legs splayed out. Quickly rushing into a back handspring, Natsu created distance away from her. Blow after blow came from the twins as Natsu dodged every single one, barely using any effort. Finally, he saw his opening, grabbing a wrist of each of the twins, he jerked his arms across another, slamming the twins together. Swiping his hands together as if clearing them of dirt, Natsu stepped away from the twins and headed toward Ultear.

"Ul, I didn't expect you to be up for a little while longer," The pinkette said smiling, as he placed a hand on her head.

Smirking slightly, the violet haired woman replied in a sultry tone, "Well I was very lonely, and quite cold."

If Ultear hadn't known Natsu as long as she did, she may have missed his eyes widen and the slight pink that dusted his cheeks. However, he replied in a calm voice, "Ah, I'm sorry. Jinx and Jax said they would watch the girls. Let's go, besides there's something I need to talk to you about."

Natsu had a word with the white-haired twins, then he and Ultear began to walk through the forest. After walking for about an hour, the two arrived at a secluded cave. The cave was furnished, and in the corner was a hot spring. Multiple gems littered the walls and ceiling for what seemed like miles. Walking over to one that sat by itself in the wall, Natsu lit the candle that was behind it. Light seemed to shoot from gem to gem illuminating the cavern in a warm glow. Ultear sighed as she settled onto one of the couches.

The pink haired man sat on the couch beside her, but his movements caused her to stiffen. He was tense, and he sat on the edge of the couch as if he was ready to spring toward the door at any moment. Ultear looked at the pinkette in concern as she watched the muscles in his jaw tighten. Carefully, she moved her hand over, gently running her finger tips over his jaw line to get his attention. When he finally glanced at her, the violet haired beauty smiled, a heart warming smile full of love.

Sighing Natsu leaned into her touch as she coaxed him to lie his head in her lap. Letting Ultear run her hand through his soft pink locks, the dragon slayer finally spoke, "I killed Rexus, just like he had asked me to. But something was wrong…"

"Natsu it's okay to feel the way you're feeling. He was your friend." Ultear spoke gently, her voice soothing.

"That's not what I mean, of course I'm upset but that's what he wanted. What I mean is that he spoke after I cut off his head…how is that possible?" For the first time in all the years she had known him, Ultear heard her companions voice fill with uncertainty and doubt.

The violet haired beauty spoke in a gentle voice, "Natsu Dragneel, we know what he is capable of. And you were the only person that could have beaten Rexus. Whatever was done to him, you ended it."

Natsu was silent for a moment as he let his companions words sink in, "Thanks Ul, I really needed to hear that." Smiling at her, Natsu rose to leave until Ultear grabbed his hand. Glancing back at her, the pinkette cocked his head to the side, a questioning look in his eyes.

Ultear bit her bottom lip, a blush steadily growing across her face, "Natsu…I-I promised myself, that once the curse got lifted. Well, I promised…Natsu I lo- "

The violet haired beauty's words were drowned out as a large explosion could be heard close to were they left the kids. Ultear's eyes met Natsu and they each saw the worry and love they had for their adopted daughters. The two sprinted out of the cave, Natsu grabbing his katana as they left.

Scene Change-With Jinx, Jax, Wendy and Meredy

The explosion knocked Jax backwards, his body slamming hard into a tree. Wendy and Meredy were scared, tears leaking down their young faces. The two looked around to see Jinx with her arms around them smiling widely, a grin that reminded them of their father. Being older Meredy was the only one of the two that noticed the blood that seemed to be pouring from the white-haired woman's side. Ushering them toward the tree line, Jinx spoke hurriedly, "Meredy I need you to take your sister and go to our secret place-ugnh…can you do that for me please?"

Meredy looked back with wide eyes as mages she didn't recognize began to pour into the clearing, "Meredy take Wendy and go!"

The pinkette grabbed her sister's hand and began to pull her into the woods as Jinx turned to face the enemy. Jax was standing now, the burly man taking his place beside his sister. Turning the man placed a hand on his sister's head, "Ready sis?"

"Pfft, I-ugnh-should be asking you the sa-ugnh-me thing. Got my back?" Jinx winced as she clutched her side.

Jax glanced toward her, a hint of worry in his eyes, "Always."

The two surged into the fray, activating their dragon force as the did. Jax's eyes both turned a pale blue and became slitted, as light blue tribal marks appeared under both eyes. White-blue scales grew on his forearms and his nails and canines extended more. Jinx's change was slightly more noticeable as blue streaks appeared in her hair. Her grey eyes became slitted and encircled with a pale blue. Scales appeared on her forearms and formed around her much of her face.

A mage cloaked in in the same garb as the other attackers darted forward. Jinx rolled under the sweep of his flaming sword, surging up with a bone crushing uppercut. The man's head jerked backward as he crumpled to the ground, only to be replaced by another. Jax appeared behind the new assailant immediately, snapping his neck. Grinning at her brother, Jinx winked as she turned to face off another of the attackers. The two white-haired twins seemed like a whirlwind of chaos as ice and snow began to build up around them. Steadily the attackers' numbers dwindled, and the few that remained stared wide-eyed at their companions.

As they began to back away a pained grunt made them stop. One man looked down at his stomach with wide eyes. A black katana blade protruded from his stomach. Slowly, the blade receded leaving the man with a wet squelch. He fell to the ground, eyes wide and glassy. Behind him stood Natsu, blood and dirt covering most of his body. His shirt was torn almost completely off, ad a thin cut could be seen on his chest. Flicking his katana, he grinned as more figures began to appear behind him. One by one they flitted into existence until Rolfe appeared at Natsu's side.

"Well, Alpha?" The greying man said as he glanced toward Natsu.

The pinkette's grin turned from feral to malicious as he spoke, "Kill."

And with that simple word, all hell broke loose as the clutch surged into the remaining attackers, ripping them apart. Natsu glanced toward Jax and Jax, nodding to the male. Without a word, he scooped up his sister and disappeared. Turning, the pinkette strode up to Rolfe and gave him some whispered directions, before he trudged off toward the scent of Ultear and the girls. Natsu sighed as he followed the scent to his and Ultear's home. Pushing the door open he strode in to find Jinx lying on the couch as Ultear tended to her wound. Looking up relief washed over the red-eyed woman as she saw Natsu.

"Jax is in the spare room resting, and the kids are asleep thankfully. They were scared to death by the time I got here." Ultear sighed as she finished stitching Jinx's side.

Natsu walked up, placing his arms around her, and she grabbed his hands in hers, "Don't worry Ul, everyone is okay. And we'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

"I hope it doesn't. I don't want to deal with that again." The violet haired woman leaned back into Natsu.

Jax came out of the spare room and offered to watch over Jinx. Thanking him, Natsu and Ultear made their way to their bedroom. Stripping off his shirt, Natsu sighed as he fell backwards onto the bed. Ultear wasn't far behind him as she quickly changed into sweats and a shirt that she stole from Natsu. She followed suit and rested her head on Natsu's chest, her right arm coiling around his waist.

"Goodnight Ultear." Natsu whispered.

Ultear smiled, "Goodnight my dragon."


	10. A Fate Worse Than Death

Natsu trudged in the kitchen wiping sleep from his eyes, smiling softly as he saw Ultear making breakfast and the twins and the girls playing. Coming up behind her he nuzzled the back of her head slightly, breathing in her scent. As she laughed softly and pushed him away complaining about trying to cook, the pinkette thought back to when Ultear had found out that each person had a scent, unique to them.

Flashback

Ultear followed several feet behind Natsu, eyeing him critically as he sniffed the air, "What in the name of Earthland are you doing?"

"I'm tracking his scent? The man gave us the scrap of his shirt that tore off on the window." Natsu replied as he cocked his head to the side.

Pinching her nose, the violet haired beauty shook her head in annoyance. Some days she couldn't understand what went through this man's brain. She had seen him fight, his mind working quickly, almost always adapting immediately to a situation. He's kept people's heads up and their mind in the fight, and he can always inspire confidence. But right now, she thought he was a complete idiot. They were completing a simple request to capture a thief. He had stolen a rare artifact from the Lord of Virum, a small island colony just south of Fiore.

After a few hours the duo finally came across the thief, who was drinking to his hearts content in a local bar. Seeing that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon, Ultear stepped outside to contact the Guardians, the equivalent of Rune Knights in Virum. Even though they were substantially more powerful. Stepping back inside she leaned into Natsu, resting her chin on his shoulder, "You know, I still don't believe you."

Smiling he looked at her, "It's okay Ul, I'm not worried about it. The guardians are here, let's go."

End Flashback

Natsu shook his head smiling, she still didn't believe him, even after all these years. It was funny to him. Turning he told Ultear that he'd be back later, and he pushed himself out the door. Trudging down the path the pink haired man made his way toward the forest. Shrugging off his jacket he folded it, gently placing it on the ground. He began going through several training exercises, periodically expelling large amounts of magic, to push his physical and magical limits. After about an hour, he noticed that someone else had entered the clearing. Turning he saw a man approaching him. He was well dressed, in a fine suit. His dark brown hair was slicked back, and a smug smile adorned his face. The man's blue eyes held a cold glint. Bowing slightly, he spoke, his voice smooth and eloquent, "Ah Mr. Dragneel, I have a message from your employer."

"And I have another reason to kill you now." Natsu spoke with a sneer as he started to walk forward.

He stopped rather quickly however as the mysterious man waved his hand and Ultear and the girls appeared before him. Ultear glared at the man, hatred easily noticeable in her scarlet eyes. The twins appeared shortly after, when the man waved his hand again, both unconscious. Looking back toward the man, Natsu spoke again, "Well what's your message?"

Appearing before Natsu, the man placed a hand on the chest of the pinkette, "You disappear." And with those words the pink haired dragon slayer vanished from sight. Ultear began to struggle violently as tears leaked down her face. Smiling, the man bowed slightly before he too vanished as well. The bonds holding Ultear and the other slayers vanished with him. A bloodcurdling scream tore itself from the throat of the violet haired beauty. She pounded her fists into the ground and magic poured off her trembling body in waves.

Scene Change

Natsu sighed in annoyance as he looked around, taking in his new surroundings. The land was split, torn in jagged rifts. Heat radiated from the ground, mixing with the sky. Lightning shattered the clouds and sheets of rain poured down from the heavens. Around him appeared to be walls, hidden in the mist. Even his heightened senses couldn't make out any details to give him direction. Cautiously he walked forward, hand on the blade of his katana. Suddenly a voice boomed around him, tearing apart the inside of his skull, as it came from all directions inside and out.

"YOU, MORTAL! WHO ARE YOU TO BE BANISHED INTO THESE LANDS?"

"I don't answer…to…you." Natsu struggled to form words, the pressure from the voice driving him to his knees.

"HA! YOU ARE A FOOL, HE WHO BEARS THE NAME HALLOW. LOOK AROUND YOU. TELL ME YOUR FATHER DID NOT WARN YOU OF THIS PLACE, SHOULD YOU STRAY FROM THE PATH!"

Lifting his head, Natsu once more took in his surroundings, as he saw the mist begin to clear, his eyes widened. The pinkette's heart began to race, as sweat beaded on his forehead. This feeling he had only felt once before…and it was fear, "This…this place should not exist."

"HAHAHA BUT IT DOES, AND YOU HAVE BEEN SENT HERE. YOU KNOW THE LAW. NATSU DRAGNEEL, THE HALLOW, BANE OF THE FORGOTTEN ONE. PRINCE AND RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE REAPER CLAN OF THE WARRING CLANS, AND LEGION THE UNDEAD KINGDOM…YOU ARE HEREBY SENTENCED TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT THROUGH COMBAT. YOU HAVE FORSAKEN THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR. WHAT SAY YOU?"

"I accept my punishment." Natsu said as he steadily rose.

"LIVE BY THE SWORD."

"Die by the sword." The pink haired warrior unsheathed his katana.

"HONOR CAN BE LOST."

"Honor can be earned." He glanced around as silhouettes appeared around him.

"IF YOU CAN BREATHE YOU CAN STAND!"

"IF YOU CAN STAND YOU CAN FIGHT!" As the words tore out of Natsu's throat, he surged forward toward the ever-growing number of enemies. All warriors, men and woman from across the ages, condemned to fight until they regained the honor they lost.

He met the first wave in a clash of rage and steel as the voice rang out once more, "YES NATSU DRAGNEEL! FIGHT! BLEED! WIN!"

Natsu caught the edge of a sword on his katana, at the same time leaning right to avoid a spear. Ducking, he shot forward and up, slashing across one man's throat. Spinning he avoided a blow from an axe. Responding with a roar of purple and black energy, he followed it, bursting to life in the mob of enemies. Slash, block, duck, roll, slash, kick, punch. A constant mantra of techniques and movement flowed through Natsu's mind as he pushed himself to the limit. But one thought outweighed all the others. One image. One voice. He would return to her, he would hold his body together with whatever he, and die at her feet if he had to. But Natsu swore that he would return to Ultear no matter what this godforsaken land threw at him.

Scene Change

It had been a week since Natsu's disappearance and Ultear was faring no better than when she watched him vanished. The red-eyed mage was a shell of her former self. She had taken refuge at the Fairy Tail guild with the girls. Jinx and Jax had rallied the clutch and spread out across the continents to try and find their Alpha. Member after member of the clutch had assured her that he wasn't dead, or they would know. But none would answer her when she told them to prove it, not even Jinx. The violet haired beauty sat at the bar, mulling over a drank when she suddenly shot up. Rising to her feet, she turned toward the doors and began walking toward them.

Several guild members, including Erza and Mira followed her outside. The two had taken quite a liking to Ultear, and Mira enjoyed teasing her about Natsu. Master Makarov followed as well, curious as to what had moved the time mage from her stupor. Ultear spoke quickly in hushed whispers with Jinx, who was waiting outside with her brother. After what seemed like a very heated argument, Ultear faced the Fairy Tail mages.

"Master Makarov, with your permission I would like for Mira, Erza and Gray to accompany me." Ultear stated, quickly and businesslike.

Rubbing his chin thoughtful, the small man spoke, "Where are you intending on going?"

"The land of Sin." As Ultear said this, the small master visibly blanched, color draining rapidly from his face.

"Master, where, or what is this place?" Erza questioned.

It was Ultear who answered, "I think I should explain, and why it ties in with Natsu and myself."

"The land of Sin is a small area near Pergrande Kingdom. In fact, for quite some time they waged a war. However, the denizens of Sin, are almost all predominantly demons or demonic in nature. The few humans that live there only know how to fight. All solutions are solved with magic and swords. Surrender is considered a weakness. Natsu lived there for most of his life, well we both did. It's were he was taught how to use his sword, or how to properly use his sword."

Ultear looked toward the master once more, before she bowed low, "Please Master Makarov, I wouldn't ask for them to go if I didn't need the help. And I don't have the authority to bring anyone from the clutch…"

"Very well. But please, keep my children safe," the small man spoke gravely, "And remember, the rules we have here are better left forgotten on those lands."

Another Scene Change

Natsu felt as if his body was on fire, every limb ached, and the pain had seeped into his very soul. One hundred and sixty-three. That was the number of warriors he had defeated. The number of souls that had been cleansed by his sword through the magic of his father. And now those same men and woman stood around him, fighting his enemies. Their numbers were dwindling and Natsu allowed a tiny sliver of hope to creep into his mind, until the ground began to shake. Foe and friend alike ran, dropping their weapons as fear overtook their hearts. Glancing toward the rumbling noise that grew louder with each second, Natsu's eyes widened. Falling to his knees he stared at the creature that appeared before him.

"Hello Natsu. It seems that fate has deemed this a fitting ending for one of us."

And as Natsu uttered a response, his heart shook with sadness and fear, "Father…"


	11. Choose

Natsu stared up in shock at the fearsome creature that was his father. Thoraxian, Dragon King of the Void, hovered above the dragon slayer, his purple eyes hard and unflinching. Without warning, he emitted a large magical pressure and a black light caused Natsu to shield his eyes. The Dragon King stood before him in human form. He was a tall man, standing at least six feet. He had broad shoulders and a muscular build. His shirtless torso was littered in countless scars. Violet hair blew softly in the wind and for the first time, Natsu noticed that the entire world seemed devoid of sound. Thoraxian stepped forward, a large broadsword in his hand, "Natsu, this is your final test. Are you prepared?"

Unconsciously the pinkette took a step back, "I won't fight you."

"Then you'll die." As the Dragon King spoke he surged forward, swinging a downward slash at his son. Natsu threw his sword up, barely blocking the devasting blow. Shockwaves ripped from the clash of the swords, upheaving the ground. Natsu felt as if his body was being crushed from the mere force of the blow. Shoving his foster-father away, he flipped backwards, landing several feet away. As soon as his feet touched the ground Thoraxian was upon him, slashing in a sweeping arc. The dragon slayer turned his sword point down to offer more protection to his side as he caught the blade on his own. The hissing of the dragon bone swords sliding against on another sound loud and shrill in the silence as Thoraxian shoved his sword point in the dirt. Too late Natsu realized that the sword was now an anchor that the Dragon King used to swing himself on in a twisting motion landing a kick on Natsu's head. Spots of light shattered the pinkette's vision as he was propelled away, rocketing through the long dead stone structures, with his foster-father not far behind him. Turning in midair, Natsu let loose a powerful roar, as purple and black energy tore itself from his mouth. Swatting it away the Dragon King spun, delivering a powerful axe kick to Natsu's skull, sending him into the ground in a crater.

Standing at the edge he looked at Natsu with disdain, "You were always too weak Natsu. You can barely protect yourself, let alone her."

"Ughn…why are you saying this to me. What happened…ugnh to you?" Natsu spoke as he drug himself from the crater, blood flowing from his head, and some dripping from his mouth.

"YOU LOST YOUR HONOR! YOU THREW IT AWAY, OVER SOME WORTHLESS FEMALE! SHE DESERV- "Thoraxian was cut off as Natsu delivered a bone shattering punch to his jaw, pushing him back slightly.

Natsu stared at Thoraxian with slitted pupils. Two skeletal wings made of the energy of the void kept him a few inches off the ground. Purple tribal markings accented in black wove their way down the left side of his face and could be seen on his hand. Growling, the man's canines were longer, and he stared at his foster-father with rage, "Her happiness is worth giving up everything. My life, my honor. All of it."

"Then prove it."

Natsu surged toward the Dragon King, swinging down with his sword. Thoraxian blocked and the pinkette appeared at his side, slashing again. Planting his sword in the ground once more, Thoraxian caught the blow, pushing up onto his sword hilt, he flipped over Natsu blade and punched toward his face. Re-directing the blow, the dragon slayer countered with one of his own, and then the two shot apart. Their feet touched the ground and they surged toward one another once more. The magical pressure and power of the blows from the two monsters ripped apart the terrain. Rocks and dirt flew and disintegrated. Old buildings crumbled, and the very sky seemed to mourn for the pain of the earth. Denizens of the realm watched in fear and awe as the two clashed, afraid to be caught in the middle. Natsu felt nothing as he battled his father. The pain of a well-placed slash, or the three ribs broken on his left side. Blood poured into his right eye, and his left arm dangled uselessly at his side. Gritting his teeth at having to use his less dominant hand, the pinkette met his fathers strikes with quick precision. As they fought he thought of nothing but Ultear, and his want to return to her, to see her smile one more time. Quickly, he did a mental assessment of himself. His left arm was shattered, useless for using a sword. Of course, his father would do that, take away strengths. Natsu was almost just as good with his right hand, but now stronger, two-handed strikes were no longer an option. The pinkette could feel himself loosing power to this cursed place. He needed to end this quickly. Stepping forward, he spun his katana in a reverse grip, launching himself toward the dragon king. CLANG! Once again, the two swordsmen met with a clash, matching each other blow for blow.

Natsu grimaced as Thoraxian pushed him back once more, rolling out of the way to avoid the roar that followed. _"He's toying with me." Natsu thought, "Not even using his dragon form…or can't he?"_ The dragon slayer was jerked from his thoughts as a fist connected with the side of his face. Grunting as his body ripped through the landscape, the pink haired man came to a stop, staring at the storming vortex above him. All thoughts of pain left him, and he felt his conscious begin to slip away.

" _Get up."_

 _Natsu stared at the voice of himself, watching a memory he knew that he had unfold before him. Natsu stood over Ultear, his practice sword pointed at her bruised and bloody form. Swatting it away the violet haired woman snarled in rage as she launched herself at Natsu, only to be thrown down once more._

" _I said get up."_

 _The pink haired dragon slayer gasped, spinning around as the voice changed. His past self lay on the ground, as Ultear sat cross-legged against a tree. Throwing another rock, the violet haired woman smirked at the dragon slayer. He groaned in annoyance before beginning to struggle to his feet._

" _For you, I'll always keep fighting."_

" _Of course! It's for you."_

" _TOUCH HER AND I'LL KILL YOU!"_

" _Stay away from him!"_

" _No, he wants nothing to do with you. Tramp."_

" _She is my Light."_

" _He's my Dragon. And he's never let me down."_

" _GET UP!"_

A gasp tore itself from Natsu's body, as he instinctually rolled to the side, the point of Thoraxian's katana driving into the ground were the pinkette just was. The force of the blow threw the man several feet away. Digging his sword into the ground, he forced himself up, and launched toward his father. Catching the larger man's blade one his, Natsu forced it down. Before the dragon king could react, his son hit him with a roar, point blank. The man flew through the air, and Natsu sped after him as the two continued to trade blows.

Thoraxian eyed Natsu, trying to hide the grin on his face, " _Yes my son, fight for her and regain your honor. Prove your worth to me as you have always done."_ He could see the damage done to the pinkette's body. And he could see the fire in his son's eyes, the will to push himself past everything, even death. Strike after strike, the two continued to match one another, unsurprising to the Dragon King since he had trained Natsu. And that's when Natsu saw it, the opening he wanted as Ultear's voice rang in his head, _"Reverse, three, sheathe. Come back to me, my dragon."_ As Thoraxian lunged forward with a thrust, Natsu switched his katana's grip. Pivoting, he slashed toward he Dragon King's chest, surprising his foster-father as he allowed the other man's sword to bury itself in his left side. As soon as the sword tore through his body, Natsu shoved his blade through the chest of Thoraxian, staring at him with tears in streaming down his face. The pinkette gasped in shock as he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Thoraxian smile.

"Natsu. My son. I am proud of you." The man spoke gently, as he reached down to wipe away the pinkette's tears.

Natsu shuddered as sobs threatened to rack his body, "Why!? Why are you here? And why did you make me fight you!? I thought you were dead!"

Thoraxian slumped down, blood pouring from his wounds, "I am here because when I was defeated, I felt as though I failed. So, I retreated to this place, and I no longer had the power to leave. I was the same as all the banished that are here. Unable to leave. That is unless you regain the honor you lost. I fought you because this place was taking my power, as you know it does from your lessons. And you needed to be able to leave."

"But…father, I- "

"Hush now boy. I raised you to be strong. And I can see now that you have turned into a fine man. I am proud of you. Now, I have one last gift for you before you go. Well, two I suppose. Step forward."

Natsu stepped closer to his father and knelt before him. Placing a hand on the pinkette's head, Thoraxian spoke, "I, hereby pass on the title of Dragon King of the Void to Natsu Dragneel, my sole heir and successor."

Natsu felt a large jolt of energy rip through his body, and he stared at his father, "What happened?"

But Thoraxian slumped forward, and fell to the ground, his eyes lifeless, but a smile plastered across his face. Natsu reached toward him, but before he could reach him, the world around him disappeared. Looking around he groaned, he was in a forest, judging from the smells he was close to Magnolia. Sheathing his sword, he steadily limped toward the smell of the town.

Ultear sat at the Fairy Tail bar, sighing in frustration. Master Makarov had reminded her that for a mission in foreign territory, the approval of the entire magic council was required. He had gone ahead to their headquarters in Era, and he would contact her when her thought projection was required. A brawl raged around her, started by Gray and Elfman. Debris and pieces of furniture flew haphazardly around the room. A single chair struck the brooding Time mage, and the guild went silent. Mira eyed the violet haired woman cautiously as she turned in her seat. Smiling sweetly at the lone man in the center of the hall, she strode toward him. It was Gray who had thrown the chair, and he coward in slight fear as he watched her. Leaning down, the crimson eyed woman whispered into his ear. The guild watched in slight amusement as the man got paler and paler. Many began to think he would collapse from fear until Warren walked over. Looking at Ultear he said that Makarov was now ready for her to send her thought projection to the council. The meeting with the council was dull and tedious, more of a courtesy than a requirement in Ultear's mind. Makarov did all the talking and conveyed the urgency of the mission to Sin. At first the council was against it, not wanting to provoke the powerful and unknown inhabitants of the country. But after much grumbling, they agreed to go. With that, the violet haired mage left with a small team. The team consisted of Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, and Gajeel Redfox.

Almost all Fairy Tail had departed, seeing no reason to stay after Ultear and her team left. Mira hummed lightly as she cleaned the bar, just about finished and ready to lock up. Imagine her surprise when the doors to the guild were pushed open and in stumbled Natsu Dragneel. He collapsed to the floor as the white-haired beauty ran up to him. The pinkette looked worse for wear and worse than Mira had ever seen him. What was left of the jacket he wore was clutched in his right hand, around his katana. Blood matted his hair to his scalp, and a large amount was caked on his head around his eye. The dragon slayer's left arm hung uselessly, bones sticking out in various places. Multiple lacerations could be seen all over his body, along with deep purple bruises. His breathe came out in rattling gasps, and the magic power he normally radiated was dangerously low. Mira squealed in fright as he grasped her arm, startling her.

Opening his left eye, the one that wasn't swollen shut, he spoke, "Ultear?"

The man went quiet after that, the pain of his wounds forcing him to succumb to sleep. Mira scurried around quickly, dragging the pinkette up to the infirmary. Quickly she called the Master and Poryusica. As she tended his injuries to the best of her ability, she tried to get a message to Ultear, but no one answered. The dragon slayer Jinx and her brother arrived almost immediately however, along with a grizzled old man that she didn't know. The twins thanked Mira profusely, and sat outside their Alpha's door. Meanwhile, the grizzled old man pulled Mira to the side to speak privately.

"I feel I should say 'ow much I 'precciate the kindness." His voice came out low and raspy, "I hate the kid. But 'e's a strong Alpha."

Shuddering slightly the white-haired beauty just nodded her head. Not long after the short Fairy Tail Master and the pink-haired healer arrived, with the latter shoving everyone out of the infirmary. After what seemed like hours, Master Makarov came down two brief everyone on Natsu's condition, stating that he would live…if he could survive the night that is. As he said this, Jinx stubbornly forced her way inside the infirmary, and sat silently at the foot of her Alpha's bed. Jax posted himself outside the door, and the old man left without a word. The rest of Fairy Tail slowly meandered home, tired after the chain of events that day.

Ultear and company had been walking for what seemed like hours. Luckily the Magic Council were kind enough to teleport them directly to the border of Sin. The three Fairy Tail mages were in awe of what they had experienced so far. This country was unlike any they had ever been in before. The clouds lit up in the sky with streaks of red lightning, and various creatures had attacked them throughout their trek. And the weather seemed to change seasons and climates by the hour, being hotter than the largest desert, and then suddenly shifting to a blizzard harsh enough to kill the common man. Ultear had come prepared however, even if her preparedness made fighting hard. The violet haired beauty had lashed them all together with a rope, stating that straying away from the group was just a signed death warrant. After another hour of walking and fighting, the group came to a decent sized house tucked away at the base of a mountain. Reaching the house, Ultear pushed the door open, gesturing for the other three to go inside. Gajeel immediately busied himself with making a fire, while Erza turned to their guide.

"Ultear what is this place?"

The red-eyed woman kept her back to Erza as she spoke, "This is were Natsu and I spent almost six years of our lives."

 **Hey guys. First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story, who follows and likes the story. I really appreciate that, because often I get stuck and feel like I should just drop it. But I don't wanna leave y'all with an unfished story. Secondly, I want to apologize for how sucky the fight scene was and for the weird memory conversation thing going on there. That was hard to write…mainly because it looked weird as fuck on paper. But all it was, was Natsu basically like half-ass dying but remembering the reason he was fighting. And thirdly, I wanted to address my other two stories. The Demon Wolf Meets the Sky Maiden is going to be temporarily taken down and rewritten completely. That should happen within the next two weeks. And the Myth of Seven will be continued but at a leisurely pace because no one really seems to be into that one. Maybe I didn't play it out right to begin with or maybe because its gender bent, I don't know. Anyways, I'd appreciate reviews, and even if I'd prefer non-negative ones, everyone has an opinion and I don't write for the sake of getting better at it or anything. It just gives me something to do. So, I'll see y'all on the next update.**


	12. Just Kids

Mirajane woke with a start as she heard a bloodcurdling scream; looking over at Natsu she saw an eerie purple hue glowing from underneath his skin, as he writhed on the bed. Grabbing the lacrima that Porlysucia left, she channeled magic into it as the pink haired mage requested if Natsu were to show any change during the night. The woman had explained to Master Makarov and the barmaid the more unknown effects of dragon-slayer magic. Like the master had explained in previous weeks, slayer magic was a magic designed for fighting the entities by which it was taught. Dragon slayer magic gave the individual in possession of it attributes of dragons, enhanced senses, durability, healing process. However, this came at great cost if a dragon slayer were to ever fight a dragon. For the dragon's magic would work the same as the slayers. But there was one key point that not many knew, and the reason that fights between dragons, or between slayers, were so dangerous. Any critical wound caused by slayer magic, would fester, like a wound inflicted by poison. And unfortunately, in Natsu's case, many of his wounds were critically. The pink haired woman arrived quickly and ushered Mira out slamming the door behind her. The twins stared at her, the worry in their eyes almost palpable.

Mira returned to the bar and was surprised to find Fairy Tail's master there, "Master! I didn't expect you to be here?"

"As much as he disagrees with our ways, I consider Natsu and Ultear as much a part of this family as the rest of you."

With Ultear and Co.

Erza stared, slightly stunned at what the Time Mage revealed. To think that her and Natsu had spent six years in what is considered one of the most hostile lands in the world.

"Ultear, please explain. We can't be left in the dark here." Erza stated calmly as she sat down.

Ultear sighed as she sat down as well, "You're right…please listen carefully, these memories are some the best and worst of our lives."

Flashback (Natsu and Ultear will begin this flash back at the age of 8 and end it at 14)

Ultear felt as though her lungs were going to burst from her chest as the pink haired boy in front of her drug her along at a break-neck pace. He had burst into her life, almost literally, nearly thirty minutes before. The child in front of her had shown up out of nowhere, and decimated the research facility she was in. And he had rescued her. Explosions from the building could still be heard, despite the distance they had put between themselves and that retched place. After what seemed like hours, the boy finally stopped, dropping to the ground. Ultear dropped beside him, fixing him with a glare.

"I could've kept up myself without you dragging me along! And what made you think I wanted to go with you?" The small girl said indignantly.

Appearing above her, and much too close for her liking, Ultear hit the boy, hard, "OW! Why did ya hit me? I was just tryin to help."

"Well you helped. Don't get that close," Standing she dusted herself off, "I'll be fine on my own."

"Wait! At least tell me your name! I'm Natsu!" The boy yelled as Ultear walked away.

Without turning the girl replied, "I'm Ultear, goodbye, Natsu."

Ultear traveled for another two days, before she ran into a man who called himself Hades. Sensing potential in the young girl, she offered to teach her a magic lost to the ages. The violet haired girl readily agreed, the want of disregarding anything to do with her mother much to great to deny the offer. The two traveled for another day before arriving at the airship of the man. Ultear was ushered around, being introduced to various individuals before finding herself face to face with Natsu. Glancing at him, she scoffed in annoyance before walking away. Slightly crestfallen, the boy retreated to his room. The next morning, Master Hades proved that training under him would be harder than Ultear imagined. The small girl, unlike Natsu, had never had any close quarters combat training. Forced into a large training area, Ultear found herself facing her first opponent, a boy her age, named Zancrow. She had met him the day prior and found him slightly unnerving. As soon as Hades gave the signal to begin, he rushed at her. Throwing her arms up, she felt her limbs jar as the boy struck her hard with a punch. Ultear's arms buckled as she was forced back, and the blonde-haired boy followed up with a kick. Feeling a stinging pain in her head, Ultear saw black and crumpled to the ground.

Natsu sat at the edge of the mat, watching the fight carefully, his eyes never leaving Zancrow. He disliked the blonde almost as soon as they met, a rivalry forming immediately. But now he was conflicted. He didn't want to see Ultear hurt, but he didn't know the repercussions of him intervening. However, his choice was made for him as Zancrow kicked the downed girl in the side, the force of the blow sending her sailing into the far wall. Springing to his feet, Natsu surged at the blonde god-slayer. Before he could reach him, he was forced into the ground with enough force to cause him to spurt blood from his mouth.

Master Hades stood above him, a stern, slightly maniacal glint in his eye, "Natsu, you should no better than to interfere. You will report to my office, this evening for your punishment."

"Yes Master…" Natsu replied sullenly as Hades dismissed everyone.

Walking over to Ultear, Natsu gently picked her up and carried her to her room. Laying her in her bed, he cleaned the blood away from her head, and wrapped bandages around her middle. Sighing slightly, the pinkette headed back to the training room, stopping by his room to retrieve his katana. Training for most of the day, Natsu returned his katana, and went to the master's office, the thought of his punishment at the forefront of his mind.

Master Hades subject Natsu to a variation of spells, ones that played games with his mind, causing him to relive painful memories and reexperience physical pain. After what seemed like hours the pinkette was finally able to return to his quarters.

Ultear woke with a start, jerking up and almost falling back immediately, gasping in pain. Turning on her light, she looked down in surprise to find herself bandaged. Groaning, she drug herself from her bed. Changing clothes, she wandered out to the training area. To her surprise Natsu was there despite it being so early in the day. The young pinkette wielded a katana, and he moved fluidly, despite the weapon being too large for his body. But his moment of skill was short lived when he swung the sword and toppled over. Cursing, he sat up and noticed Ultear.

The pinkette smiled, trotting over, "Hey! Ya feelin' better?"

"I'm fine. Please leave me alone." Ultear said coldly as she walked toward the training dummies.

Shrugging, Natsu ran his katana to his room quickly before returning to find Ultear throwing haphazard punches at the dummy. Walking up to her once more, he spoke, "You'll hurt yourself if you punch like that."

Glaring at him, Ultear gestured toward the dummy. Standing in front of the dummy, Natsu began to explain to Ultear different fighting stances, and how to properly punch. After he showed her, he had her mimic his motions until it seemed like she got the hang of it. Once she felt comfortable, the violet haired girl threw herself into training. Everyday, Master Hades would have two of his members fight, and more often than not Ultear woke with bandages on her body. The red-eyed girl was confused, there was no one whom she knew that would take such care on her wounds. And when she asked the medical staff, they told her that she had never once been treated by them. Shaking her head in annoyance, Ultear rose from her bed and left her room. Walking into the training area, Ultear saw Natsu there once again training with his katana. Odd, she thought, he never used it during normal training hours.

Walking up to him she spoke, "Neh Natsu, anything else you can teach me?"

"And why would I teach you?" Natsu, glanced at the girl, even though he had indeed taught her a few things the past few months, "What have you done to earn it?"

"What's that supposed to mean! Are you assuming I'm using you!?" The red-eyed girl's voice rose, as she stomped toward Natsu.

"We've been here for five months. And I've helped you since day one. But you don't know why." Natsu simply glanced in her direction.

Throwing up her arms in frustration, Ultear stomped away in annoyance. Unbeknwest to both mages, their Master stood on the second floor, watching them. Stroking his beard in thought, he strode away toward his office. Before long, a still fuming Ultear, and a disgustingly calm Natsu stood in front of Master Hades doors swung open on their own as Natsu raised his hand to knock Walking through the doors, the pinkette stopped short of the desk, causing Ultear to look back. Seeing the wary look on Natsu's face, she looked forward toward the Master's desk. Beside the master, stood another man, far younger than Master Hades. He had simple, well cut brown hair. He wore a well tailored suit, and smiled warmly at the children before him.

Stepping from behind the desk, he spoke, his voice like silk, "Children, what a pleasure it is to finally make your aquiantance."

"A pleasure to met you, sir." Ultear spoke softly, something akin to fear in her voice.

As the man glanced at Natsu expectantly, "Fuck off. You smell."

"Well, it appears eloquence and mannerisms are not your fortay," The man's smile seemed to be stretched too tight over his face, "We shall discuss the matter at hand then."

"As you probably do not know is that your Master and myself are business partners in a sense," the man paced around the room, hands clapsed behind his back, "And you happen to be perfect, for a mission that I need taken care of. Good luck."

Smiling, he clapped his hands together…and the floor beneath the two children disappeared. Falling through the sky Ultear began to scream. Holding his ears Natsu shouted at her, "Stop screamin' we're gonna be fine! Trust me!"

Grabbing on to Ultear, Natsu slowed their landing with a roar. Their feet touched down, and the two looked around. Before they could move however, a black magic circle, pulsating with red appeared before them. A flash of light blinded the duo for a moment, and before them, stood the man from their Master's office.

"Children! What a pleasure it is to see you again so soon! You will know me from hence forth as the Employer," The man smiled a too tight smile, "Welcome to the land of Sin. I want it, give it to me. Other questions will be answered in the future. I'll leave you two lovebirds be."

As the man disappeared, Ultear looked at Natsu, she realized that she was still in his arms. Screaming she pushed him off, "PERVERT! DON'T TOUCH ME!"


	13. Conquest For Kids

It had been two days since Natsu and Ultear had been left on an unknown island by their Master, and the mysterious man known as the Employer had no contact with them since then. The two learned quickly that the land they were in was hostile and unforgiving. Trekking far into the forest, Ultear learned quickly that she would have to be quite reliant on Natsu, much to her dismay. He had found them a place to camp quickly and had managed to provide food for the both of them. At a slow pace the two continued on, heading to were they saw smoke rising the night before. After a few weeks of traveling, the duo, finally reached the outskirts of a large city.

Sitting around the campfire, Ultear eyed Natsu critically as thoughts raced through her head. "Hmm. He's been quiet since we got here…maybe I should check on him. But he was annoying on the ship. Ugh..."

"Hey Natsu…" Ultear spoke quietly.

Looking up Natsu smiled slightly, "What's up?"

"You, uh, you were being really quiet..."

"Just thinkin'," Natsu shrugged as he continued, "That man had a weird magic. Smelled bad."

"Well, aside from that what do you think we should do?" Ultear asked in the hopes to keep Natsu talking.

"Dunno. There're mountains over there on the eastern part of the city. I think we should find a place to build some kind of house. The creepy man didn't really give us a time frame."

"Well while you do that, I'll head to the city."

Nodding, Natsu lay on the ground staring at the sky, "Just be careful. We haven't met anything friendly so far."

The next day Ultear found herself wandering through the town below them. Natsu had left earlier that morning to scout out the mountain ranges he saw. And Ultear felt a small pang of uneasiness watching him go. As much as she hated to admit it, the pink haired idiot's company was starting to grow on her. Even if he was an ill-mannered Neanderthal. Blending with the crowd, the violet haired girl searched around for any information she could find. After a few hours, the violet haired girl found herself sitting at a restaurant listening to people talk. She learned that she was in a land called Sin. Ultear sat for another few hours before she headed back to the outskirts of town to where she was to meet Natsu. As she made her to the meeting spot, Natsu seemingly appeared out of thin air. Gesturing with his hand he began to walk, "Hey Ultear. Learn anything?"

"I learned a lot actual. That was a merchant town called Innocuous," Ultear spoke as she fell in step beside the pinkette, "And this land is called Sin. It's divided up into seven sub regions."

"And the sub regions help us how?" Natsu questioned, cocking his head to the side.

Ultear smirked, "Each region is named after it's exports and abilities to provide for the nation. Wrath trains soldiers and crafts arms. Greed is the economic area of the land; all the wealth is there. Gluttony is the farming area. Envy is an area that trains individuals in slight of hand, assassination etc. Pride is the region that governs law and where the rulers hold their seat. Lust is a red district that distributes slaves and other pleasures. And Sloth is a region for any prisoners."

Natsu glanced at Ultear, "Well we're almost here. And we're gonna need to find jobs."

The next day the duo made their way back into the town. After asking around Natsu found a job as a mercenary. He provided muscle for any merchant willing to pay enough. Ultear found herself a job in the local library, where she used the near infinite amount of information to broaden her knowledge. The two young mages continued this practice for a year, as they steadily built their house. It was a large house, with a bar, a living room, five bedrooms and two bathrooms. The two trained and learned together, trying to find out as much about the area that they could. Eventually, the duo was contacted by the Employer once more, as he appeared during their dinner.

"Children. How lovely it is to see you once more," The man smiled, gesturing with his arms, "How are you?"

"We're fine sir." Ultear spoke as she bowed slightly.

"Still think you should die," Natsu grumbled, arms crossed.

Looking at Natsu in mock hurt, the Employer shook his head, "Still as ineloquent as ever. That aside, on to business. I take it you've learned about the lay of the land?"

"Yes. We have." Ultear placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder before he could have an outburst.

The Employer clasped his hands together, smiling coldly, "Good good. Well as you take an area in my name, an individual will arrive to take a position of power. Oh, and when you take the fourth region, meet me at the library."

With those final words he disappeared and Natsu looked at Ultear, "We need a back-up plan."

Ultear and Natsu decided on taking the region of Lust first. They could be utilized as a very good, very vast network of spies and knowledge. It took them a week to arrive at the sprawling city of Lust. Natsu got himself captured, almost immediately and became one of the permanent slaves of the city. Ultear went undercover as a trainee as a courtesan, since she was too young to be taken by the men.

With Natsu

Natsu sat in the slave encampment around the fire. He had been there for six months, and his constant frustration was growing. He was worried for Ultear…they had grown much closer over the past year, before they had started this operation. Sitting around the fire he looked at the few people he had managed to befriend. There was Jack, a large Flame demon hybrid, with close cut red hair and a beard to match. Dark skin covered in scars, rippled over muscle. The man's eyes were gentle, and his calm voice often stopped arguments among the slaves. Vance a lesser demon, that had his wings removed for a crime he chose not to discuss. Unkempt hair covered his eyes blue in color. Often Natsu could see a flash of red if the man moved his hair. And he always gave a fanged smile, like he was eyeing his next meal. And there was also Chi, and she was a druid that was captured during a conquest. She was a beautiful young woman, with a nice figure and lightly tanned skin. Her green hair contrasted with her skin, and her eyes matched. She had a sweet smile. Chi took quite a liking to Natsu and Ultear, acting as their older sister. That was one thing Natsu learned quickly about Sin. Most of the inhabitants were demonic in nature, however the humans were much more dangerous. During his time here, Natsu, with the help of his friends, had stirred the slaves into multiple revolts. Small revolts here and there as they prepared for the main event. Natsu sat sniffing the air almost constantly until his scent hit her. Citrus and spice, he always knew when she was near. Sitting beside him casually she spoke, "It's starting. The courtesans that are with people in positions of power will be killing them. You ready?"

"Of course. Let's get this over with." Natsu stood as he spoke. His katana appeared in his hand as he rushed toward the guards. One let out a startled cry as he fell to the ground. Natsu's friends quickly ran to his aid as the slaves began their revolt. Grabbing Ultear's hand, Natsu pulled her toward the middle of the city. The people that allied themselves with the duo worked quickly and much of the city was feeling the affects of revolution. Former slaves ran amuck, and fire spread through the city. Natsu and Ultear finally made it to their home, where they met their employer's man. He left shortly after to go take his place as the leader of Lust. Natsu told Ultear he was going to the shower, and the violet haired woman headed to her room to lay down. Tossing and turning for hours, the girl awoke annoyed. In the few weeks it took to building their house, the young girl had gotten used to sleeping next to the pinkette for warmth, and so the didn't get taken by surprise. Huffing in annoyance the girl got up and trudged to Natsu's room. Pounding on the door she stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to answer. When the door opened, she pushed her way inside.

"Um…hey?" Natsu looked at Ultear in confusion.

Ultear blushed slightly as she spoke in a quiet voice, "Can I sleep here tonight?"

"Sure." Natsu said simply.

He laid down in the bed, patting the spot next to him. Crawling under the covers, sighing in contentment. Natsu fell asleep quickly, and Ultear stared toward the ceiling. Rolling over she snuggled into Natsu, trying to bury herself in his warmth. She gasped as his arm draped itself over her waist before she finally drifted to sleep. And from that day on, they never slept any other way, unless they absolutely had to.

Natsu and Ultear walked through the city of Wrath, staring in slight awe. Lust was already taken, a man named Viktor Slive placed in power, as per the instructions of their Employer. But the city of Lust was easy to topple, because of the oppression placed on many of the citizens. Wrath however was a different story. Large walls surrounded the city, and the guard change was stringent and precise, leaving almost no room for error. Ultear glanced at Natsu, "Neh Natsu, this seems like trouble."

"Yeah…I have an idea or two. But we need to take Wrath before anything else." Natsu spoke, putting his hands behind his head.

"I know, I thought of the plan idiot. Lust first, to establish a network of information which we now have. And Wrath to destabilize the military power of the country. However, we could go to Gluttony. No food means unfed soldiers."

"Hmm, we'll send Vance, Jack, Chi, Sara and Akame to Gluttony," Natsu replied, "It can be a joint destabilization. But- "

"But then they'll be on alert. Military or no military," Ultear finished for him, "However, just because we take out the large military operations here doesn't mean they aren't spread across the country."

Nodding, Natsu stayed silent as he studied the buildings around them. Ultear was content to watch him. Natsu seemed very dense when she first met him, first to fight and almost never thought before he spoke. But watching him fight, and plan like this it left her in awe. He was very smart, and his mind worked at lightning speed in a fight or a tactical battle. And he had tells that she noticed, he stuck out his tongue when he thought too hard. The two continued to walk as Natsu subtly eyed the area around him. Stopping at a restaurant the two sat down. Not much later, they were joined by Vance, Jack, and Chi. The druid woman ran around, throwing her arms around the two, smiling brightly, "Hey you two! I missed you!"

Vance waved a hand dismissively as Jack rumbled, "We all missed you, even Vance. But little ones, you haven't called us here for pleasantries?"

Natsu grumbled a reply, "Call me little again I'll put your teeth in your throat."

"What Natsu means, is that he is glad you're here," Ultear spoke softly, "We have a problem."

She continued to speak once she realized she had everyone's attention, "As you know, we have been tasked to claim the land of Sin, which was already accomplished in the city of Lust. The next step is- "

Chi's bubbly voice carried over Ultear's, "We know the plan. And the back-up. I'm guessing it changed?"

"We need to hit Gluttony before Wrath. But not too separate as to allow them to mobilize." Natsu spoke, arms crossed, "Jack, you'll get Akame and attack Gluttony. Take Sara as well. The rest of us will topple Wrath."

"Akame scares the shit outta me? Why her!?" Jack moaned, the large demon's eyes wide like a child.

"She's a wraith eater. No one will get near the person burning the crops with her around." Natsu smirked.

Another hour passed by as the companions discussed their plans. Akame being a wraith eater was able to shadow jump, as well as scare most individuals to the point were, they wouldn't have the will to breathe let alone fight. Sara was a succubus and would persuade a large portion of the soldiers protecting Gluttony to leave. Jack would then attack the crops from a distance with his fire. Meanwhile, Vance would stir up panic with Ultear and Chi's help in Wrath. And Natsu planned to just cause as much chaos as possible. As the companions all separated Natsu stayed behind for a few more hours, before returning to camp. He walked into the tent to find Ultear still wide awake.

"Took you long enough." Ultear muttered.

Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry, I wanted to make sure I had as much information as possible."

"Well hurry up, I'm tired." Ultear groaned as she lay down.

Chuckling, Natsu lay beside her and the two quickly fell asleep. The next morning Natsu and Ultear headed back into the city of Wrath. It was early, and dew still clung to the grass, mist hiding the world from view. Ultear entered first, heading away from Natsu towards Chi and Vance. And Natsu well, "Void Dragon's Roar!" he shouted as he spotted a guard. The guard slammed against the wall and an alarm sounded almost immediately. Guards began to pour out from seemingly nowhere as Natsu drew his katana. Surging forward he slashed at a guard, before jumping back to avoid a strike from another. Spinning he swept out a man's legs, before a blow the side of the head made him stagger slightly off balance. While Natsu continued to fight, Ultear and her friends played their part well. The violet haired time mage caused buildings and structures to crumble. Vance ran around attacking random guards with Chi's help. Soon mass panic began to arise in the city, as well as other guards screaming about an attack in Gluttony, and a crazed pink haired beast. The Employer also sent his man with an assassin to take care of the powerful individual that needed replaced. After several hours of fighting, the new leader, a woman called Francine Blackward, put forth steps to return Wrath to order. As she did that, a man named John Abtrose took his place in Gluttony.

Natsu winced slightly as Ultear cleaned the various cuts on his body. She was frantic, yelling at him as soon as she saw his injuries. He let the grumbling woman clean and bandage his wounds. The two went to sleep, thankful to be alive, as dreams of their next conquest kept them on edge.

Five years passed, and Ultear and Natsu now age fourteen, sat in their home listening to their employer, as Natsu oozed rage. They had taken five of the regions of Sin, and unfortunately the Employer was pleased. And now he had another mission for them…to find a creature called the Forgotten One.

End Flashback

Erza sat in shock as she stared at Ultear listening to her speak, "That was just the general story. There are many more details, but not all are mine to tell."

"That is fine…I think I understand. But what is this back up plan you had in place?" Erza questioned.

Ultear flushed slightly, "Ah, well our Employer wanted us to take Sin. So, we did. We just made sure that we could take it back."

"And is that what we're here for?" Erza asked.

Ultear shook her head, "No. We're looking for a legend, that shouldn't even exist."

"What is it?"

"It's something Natsu told me about. A plane for all warriors who have lost their honor or have failed to find peace. A place called Soul Brand."

 **Hey guys I'm back again. Sorry if this chapter is a little eh. Don't worry, you'll get to experience more of Natsu and Ultear in Sin, because we all know that the Employer has a bunch of tricks up his sleeve. Next chapter you'll get to see Ultear placed in a trail she doesn't understand. And Natsu continues to struggle with his trying not to die a horrific death. But as soon as this portion of the story wraps up, then we'll lean back toward the canon events, as well as how the Employer plans to ruin everything now.**


End file.
